Nativity
by HanssenIsGod
Summary: It's Christmas time - and the staff of Holby ar forced to perform a Nativity for Paeds! Mention of most characters, Janny are still together and mention of a Serena/Hanssen friendship/romance... Please read and review - they mean a lot!xx
1. Chapter 1

**This is just an idea that came to me yesterday when I was up in London with my friend. We both had takeaway coffee cups and I was like "They use these on Holby all the time!" And my friend was like "Oh yeah!" then we started talking about it (after doing very amusing impressions of Jac) and I got this idea! I will finish my other stories soon though! P.s Jac and Jonny are still together and this is set near Christmas! Enjoy and please review!x**

"No!" Jac protested, her hand on her hips. This look, along with her trade-mark death stare, usually reduced F1's to tears and made fellow consultants stare awkwardly at their feet (even the might Mr Hanssen had been known to back down when she puts on this intimidating demeanour). But Jac's usual harshness and intimidation just bounced off the sweet Scot standing opposite her.  
"Oh yes! It's happening!" He asserted. Serena took a step forward so she was level with Jac and the two women stood side-by-side, hands on hips, staring down the nine people opposite them. Michael, Jonny, Mo, Chrissie, Malick, Digby, Gemma, Chantelle and Elliot all stared back, clearly unwilling to back down either. Realising they had a very hard struggle ahead, Serena and Jac glanced apprehensively at each other before looking over their shoulders to face the tall Swede behind them. Hanssen was stood deadly still, his already intimidating look emphasized as he stood to his tallest height, his dark eyes gleaning menacingly from behind his steel-rimmed glasses.  
"We are _not _taking part, agreed?" He asked the two women in front of him, his tone daring them to disagree.  
"Agreed." Serena said firmly while Jac nodded vigorously. The three most frightening surgeons in the hospital squared their shoulders and glared at their colleagues, attempting to intimidate them. Digby looked like he wanted to run a mile. He already tried to avoid any one of these consultants as much as he could and all three of them together made him want to hide in the nearest corner. Pushing his glasses nervously up his nose, his eyes darted around the board room nervously. However, everyone else, especially Michael, Jonny and Malick, were undeterred by these glares.  
"Why not?" Jonny asked, wondering why they were being so stubborn. It wasn't as if he was asking them to run naked down the street singing 'hallelujah!'  
"Why should we? We are not – I repeat NOT – taking part in a bloody Nativity!" Jac retorted, her eyes shining dangerously.  
"Why the bloody hell have you volunteered us for it anyway?" Serena complained, almost as if she was in a sulk. Hanssen had to supress a smirk at this – it almost ashamed him to admit he got a satisfying feeling when Serena Campbell acted like a petulant child.  
"Mo did. Paed's want to put a show on for the kids this Christmas, asked if we was interested, and so Mo put everyone's name down who isn't working that day from AAU, Darwin and Keller." Michael explained in his usual, lazy drawl.  
"Oh, right, yeah. We'll just prance around the stage looking like idiots when we should be in theatre doing life-saving operations!" Jac sighed in exasperation.  
"Oh, cheer up Jac, I'm sure it's not the first time you've pranced around a stage for every Tom, Dick and Harry to see. The memories of Jonny's birthday drink still remain with me." Michael grinned, unable to help himself. Jac eyes narrowed dangerously and everyone in the room who didn't have a death-wish quickly wiped the amused expressions of off their faces.  
"Oh come on guys." Elliot sighed. "For the children. All the poor, ill children who just want a laugh this Christmas."  
"If I didn't know better Professor Hope, I'd say that was an attempt at emotional blackmail." Hanssen said, his usual placid demeanour fading rapidly, while Jac hissed something like "Well, buy them a yo-yo." Under her breath.  
"I think not Mr Hanssen." Elliot replied cheerily.  
"And anyway Jac," Jonny coaxed, switching his natural Scottish charm. "I'm directing. So if you don't want you don't have to go on stage. We can be joint directors, what do you say?" The promise she didn't have to make a prat of herself – along with the images of poor children (namely baby Freya look-alikes) being cheered up – made Jac see the Nativity in a completely different light.  
"Fine." She snapped. "Although, Maconie, I'm warning you. You cross me or argue with me and I'll take that smarmy head right off those shoulders." Even in the face of this threat, Jonny couldn't stop a broad grin appearing on his face.  
"I wouldn't expect anything less." He replied, trying – and failing – to act serious. The prospect of working closely with Jac made this play all the more better (well, with the memories of the events occurring in the linen cupboard that very morning between the red-headed consultant and Scottish Nurse made Jonny sure not much directing would actually go on…)  
"Right, I'm off." Jac announced walking to the door. "I'll go and run Darwin while you lot stand around talking fairy costumes and tutu's yeah, Maureen, Elliot?" She called over her shoulder. Mo rolled her eyes at Jac's sharpness while Elliot replied with a "Much obliged, Ms Naylor." When Jac slammed the door behind her, everyone turned to face the only two left resisting. Serena sighed and turned to Hanssen.  
"Then there was two." She said. Hanssen also sighed. Although he wasn't usually one for giving up, he knew when he was beaten.  
"Aww, come on you two! How can Holby City hospital perform a Nativity without our mom and dad?" Michael begged, doing his best puppy-dog eyes.  
"What?" Serena asked, and everyone immediately noticed her deadly tone.  
"Huh?" Digby inquired just after, once again pushing his glasses nervously up his nose. "Mr Hanssen and Ms Campbell aren't in a relationship are they?" Michael looked like he never wanted to laugh so much, Digby looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up and never let him go as he realised he's got the wrong end of the stick, Jonny, Mo, Malick and Gemma looked mildly disgusted at this suggestion.  
"Oh, sniffles." Gemma laughed, patting a terrified Arthur on his shoulder.  
"It's a turn of phrase my friend." Malick informed him in a theatrical whisper. Hanssen glared relentlessly at Digby as he stared in embarrassment at the floor.  
"Chill out, Mr Hanssen." Serena grinned, subconsciously placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sure everyone knows the truth." Hanssen swallowed and glanced at his arm. Realising what she had done, she quickly withdrew her hand and averted her gaze from an awkward Hanssen whilst trying not to catch a knowing Michael's eye.  
"On one condition." The tall Swede announced reluctantly to Michael.  
"What?" Michael grinned happily while Malick and Jonny high-fived each other in triumph.  
"I don't have to act!" Serena and Hanssen replied in unison. They glanced awkwardly at each other as they realised they had just spoken the same words at the same time.  
"Deal." Michael confirmed their term.  
"This is going to be fun!" Jonny grinned. "I haven't done a play since I was a wee kid!"  
"I wouldn't say fun." Was Hanssen's mumbled response before he turned to sweep out of the room. "Back to work if you will." He called over his shoulder. Slowly they piled out of the room, everyone bar Serena in a happy mood with the promise of some good fun to come. Soon, it was only Digby and Malick left.  
"Did you see that glare? I'm dead." Digby sighed, burying his head in his hands.  
"That definitely was a first for me. Hearing an F1 ask if his bosses are sleeping together." Malick grinned.  
"It was an unfortunate first for me to ask as well." Digby mumbled.  
"Oh, cheer up, it could have been worse." Malick patted him reassuringly on his back.  
"How? How the hell could it have been worse?"  
Malick grinned. "You could have accused Serena of sleeping with the Big H to become Clinical Executive Director."

**What did you think?! I'm unsure of whether to carry this on so please leave a review and let me know your opinions! **** xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh Guys, I'd love to thank you for your amazing reviews! I've even began to annoy my friends with my overexcitement:  
Me: OMG OMG OMG Another review!  
Friend: Oh, God, tell us something new!  
*5 minutes later*  
Me: OMG another review!  
Friend: Shut up!  
Me: Yeah, but, no, but OMG I love these people!  
Friend: SHUT UP!  
Me: *salutes friend behind her back with my two best fingers!***

**Sorry about the delay in updating – I've been in hospital and my dad refused to bring my laptop in for me until yesterday! **

**I've decided to tease you and wait a little longer to find out who's playing who…**** That – and I haven't had the chance to work out what characters I want playing who in the Nativity – so let me know your ideas if you would!**

**OMG Hanssen in Tues night's ep: Gemma: Did you ever discuss sex with your dad?"  
I think his face said it all! And he soooo stared at those snaps for longer than was needed!**

**Thanks again for your wonderful reviews – keep 'em coming! If you have suggestions/improvements/corrections I greet them very gratefully!**

**Enjoy you guys!xx ;) **

"Can I get you another, Jac, Mo, Serena?" Michael grinned. Most of the staff involved in the Nativity were sitting in a pub picked randomly by Jac. Half an hour ago, the lot of them had been inhabiting Albie's but when the barman started to pointedly clear the tables, they got the hint and it was at this point Jac had suggested they moved onto another pub for 'one more drink' (to which Michael added under his breath 'yeah, one or twenty'). Ric had refused his invitation to Albie's, he was still pissed off he couldn't take part in the Nativity because he was working that night and when Serena started to beg him to join them he replied with 'No, I don't want to intrude on the cosy gathering between you lot in the N.C' (his bitter nickname for the group of staff participating in the Nativity, standing for Nativity Club). Gemma had also passed up her invitation as she had 'childcare issues' while Chrissie dropped out after Albie's, not wanting to leave a very mis-behaving Daniel alone with Sacha for the whole night. Hanssen had been a completely different matter. Serena and Jac had spent most of their shifts that day trying to persuade him to join them in Albie's. They'd tried appealing to his emotional side ("Please come, it'll be a great chance for the whole Christmas Spirit thing," and "Oh, come on, why not? We can all bond seeing as though we're all doing the play!") to no avail and so they moved onto begging. Serena was about to get to her knees in the middle of Keller until a near-by patient started crashing, putting a stop to this charade much to Hanssen's (and as she'd come to realise later on, Serena's) relief. Jac swore they'd been wearing him down all day, but the real turning point came when they'd finally managed to persuade Chantelle to invite him. Just as the last drinks were being ordered in Albie's, he finally materialized sending "his deepest apologies that he couldn't join them at an earlier time" but a patient had kept him. Serena, Jac and Michael weren't convinced, they both had a sneaky feeling that he knew _exactly _when Albie's closed, and purposely chose not to appear since then. Their 'sneaky feelings' were nothing if not proven when they saw his face when Jac suggested they moved onto to another pub. But not having an excuse this time, he had been forced to reluctantly accept their invitation. So, that left Jac, Jonny, Elliot, Michael, Malick, Serena Hanssen, Digby and Chantelle to traipse the streets of Holby until they stumbled across the pub they were all sitting in now.  
"Yeah, same again Spence." Jac grinned, pushing her empty glass away.  
"Me too Michael." Serena added.  
"Me three." Mo yawned, typing away at her phone. "And a packet of crisps. Salt and vinegar." Jac stared at Mo in disgust. Anything involving an ounce of fat or sugar was an absolute no go with the slim red-head. Mo rolled her eyes in response to this look. "What? I'm hungry!" Cue another disgusted look from the young consultant. Mo glanced at the message she'd just typed out. "What's the point in me writing 'lol' when I know I'm sitting here, reading her message with less expression than a brick?" She wondered out loud, deleting the acronym that seemed to offend her.  
"Actually I'll come with you." Serena stood up and joined Michael at the bar. "Should we get anything for the others?" She glanced over at Digby, Chantelle, Malick, Jonny and Elliot who were all sat at a different table in deep conversation. Michael watched as the five of them burst into alcohol-induced peals of laughter, capturing the attention of most of the pub.  
"No way! That lot can buy their own bloody drinks!" Michael laughed, placing his order with the pretty-looking girl behind the bar. Serena rolled her eyes as, predictably, he took ages, as he felt the need to flirt with someone who looked half his age.  
"I mean, fair-do's he ain't your conventional 'fit' but he's damn handsome! Oh my God that tie is gorgeous!" Serena turned to see this squeakily annoying voice belonged to a young blonde who was whispering very poorly to her mate beside her. The girl's eyes were fixed on someone in one of corners and Serena was tempted to follow her gaze to see who was 'damn handsome' but then she realized she didn't actually care. Just as Serena reminded Michael of what flavour crisps Mo wanted, the high-pitched voice pierced her ears again and she felt a sudden urge to grab the vodka and tonic the girl was holding right out of her hands and chuck it right over her head.  
"Oh my God, he's looking over here. Right over here. Shit, do you think he's looking at me? Oh bloody hell, do I look alright?" Gritting her teeth, she turned sharply fix that girl with her trademark death stare. However, she was thoroughly distracted when she saw who she was talking about. Her mouth almost dropped open in shock as she saw no one else but Henrik Hanssen sitting alone at a table in the corner. She caught his eye for a split-second before he dropped his gaze quickly. She turned to see the Blonde still staring at Hanssen, trying – and failing, she noticed with a smirk – to pout attractively. So, if he wasn't staring at the Blonde, then does that mean he was staring at…?! No, surely not?  
"Mo told me to come help." A sharp voice pierced through her thoughts. She and Michael turned to see Jac standing behind them. Serena nodded gratefully before stifling a yawn that she'd been fighting off for the past few hours. "You OK Serena?" She was surprised to find genuine concern in the face of the red-head.  
"Mm…Trouble sleeping." Jac nodded before turning to glare at the Blonde that had annoyed Serena. But luckily the Blonde was too intent on staring at and talking loudly about Hanssen to see Jac.  
"What…have you been having nightmares?" Serena looked at Michael strangely.  
"I'm not 5 Michael."  
"It's not a bad thing to have nightmares." Michael informed in feign concern. "You don't have to be ashamed."  
"What?" Jac inquired, having not bothered to listen to the last part of the conversation.  
"Serena's been having bad dreams." Michael stirred, clapping Serena on her shoulder.  
"Ughh, don't tell me," Jac said in her usual bored tone. "Anxiety dream? You're naked in theatre and Hanssen's giving you marks out of ten?" (You'll have to thank the Holby writers for that one!) Michael snorted so loudly it caused the bargirl who was placing their drinks on the bar to jump and stare at him, startled. Serena immediately felt her cheeks colour as she coughed quite loudly in an attempt to get rid of her humour and embarrassment, causing Jac to smirk at the fact her comment had the desired effect. Serena turned from the bar to face Jac and deliver the smart reply she was proud that she had come up with so quickly when it got caught in the back of her throat. Her eyes widened as she recognised an all-to-familiar figure looming over Jac's shoulder.  
"What?" Jac shrugged indifferently to her silence. "I'm not saying that's the dream I had."  
I am very glad to hear that, Ms Naylor." A smooth voice announced. Jac froze, recognising the voice a mile off. Only her wide eyes and the look of panic that vanished in a moment betrayed the fact that the young woman felt very nervous indeed. She turned slowly, trying to look as nonchalant as she could.  
"Good evening, Mr Hanssen." She greeted, her voice coming out more of a scared whisper than the bored, carefree tone she'd hoped for.  
"Good evening, Ms Naylor, Mr Spence, Ms Campbell." He nodded, face as blank as ever. God that man was an enigma. "I am glad to inform you, Ms Naylor, that if I were to carry out an assessments in theatre, I intend for the recipients to be fully clothed. So any anxiety dreams of that nature are futile." The look on Michael and Serena's faces told Jac that she would never ever live this down.  
"Glad to hear it."  
"I think you can speak for all of us there." With one last nod, Jac made a grab for her drink and hurried back to a confused looking Mo who was clearly wondering what the hell had happened for the Ice-queen's façade to collapse and leave her blushing like an idiot.  
"I really do hope Ms Naylor's dreams don't consist of what she mentioned." Hanssen mumbled in between ordering himself a drink. "It's really rather disturbing to hear."  
"Then you shouldn't loom." Serena informed him sarcastically. He quirked an eyebrow but other than that remained unresponsive. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Blonde glaring at her when she realised that Serena was talking to Hanssen. Serena had a suddenly wicked idea to make Blonde even more jealous but wondered if she would be able to go through with it. If she had to, she realised she'd be able to flirt with most of her colleagues. Some easier than others – for example, Ric with whom she already indulged herself in the odd, unserious flirt occasionally would be easy. Hanssen, on the other hand, would be a completely different matter. The once or twice she attempted anything of the sort, he'd easily brushed her off. The man really did have some phenomenal diversion tactics, he's most effective but most annoying being answering a question with a question.  
So wrapped up in this, she was oblivious to Hanssen having retreated back to his table and Michael turning away from the bar.  
"Rena? Coming?" He called over his shoulder, trying to juggle a mixture of wine, beer and Mo's bag of crisps.  
"Mmm…in a minute." She informed him, not even noticing the use of her annoying pet-name. He shrugged and hurried back to Jac and Mo, desperate to unload his cargo onto the table before he dropped it. Serena felt immensely guilty she didn't realise the absence of Hanssen's presence at either of their tables. On a whim, she set off in the direction of his table, wine glass in hand. Halfway there, she was in half a mind to leave the Swede to his own devices but she couldn't suddenly just turn around for fear of looking stupid and rude and so she reluctantly carried on until she was level with his table. He hadn't even glanced up as she made her way over, but now she was standing right over him, he had no choice but to acknowledge her presence.  
"Ms Campbell?" His tone was more quizzical than inviting.  
"Why are you here, alone?" She asked, not bothering with niceties. He raised an eyebrow as she slumped, uninvited, into the spare chair opposite.  
"I…" He trailed off, realizing he had no actual answer other than 'I'm unsociable.'  
"Mm…" She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "It's nice to know our Director of Surgery has the social skills of a rasher of bacon." She smirked. He slowly sipped from his glass, as he pondered how to react to being compared with the meat from a pig. "So…will you come and sit at our table?" She asked. He looked taken aback by the forwardness of her question.  
"Look, unless you want drunk women flinging themselves at you, I'd get some company." Predictably, he looked baffled. "Over my left shoulder, blonde hair, pink top?" Hanssen nodded as he soon saw the woman that she was describing. He was surprised to find that she seemed to be staring at him and as he looked over, she quickly looked away whilst mumbling something excitedly to her friend.  
"What about her?" Serena waited until he was about to sip his wine before answering.  
"She fancies you." She smirked proudly as he choked and spluttered on his drink. As ever, her timing was impeccable. He glared at her, realising she'd purposefully timed her response.

**

"Jesus Christ what's she saying to him?" Michael wondered out loud, watching Hanssen choke on his drink. This made Jac look away from her conversation with Mo and follow his gaze.  
"Uggh – I don't think I want to know." Jac shivered, watching Hanssen's ears turn pink. If truth be told, she felt a bit protective of the Swede since their jaunt to Sweden, and she hoped he knew what he was getting into if he was going to shag the Iron Lady of Holby…

"Excuse me?" He finally managed, the tips of his ears turning a cute pink.  
"I don't think I can make myself any clearer, Henrik." She smiled sweetly, inwardly cursing herself as she'd realised she'd subconsciously addressed him by his first name. "She fancies you. And in that bloody waistcoat, I can see her point" She inwardly curses again. "So, two choices. Move tables or shag her." His facial expression was priceless, and Serena wished she could access CCTV for this moment. The man had never moved so fast as he stood and grabbed his drink.  
"Come on." He said, striding off to her table faster than she could say 'wait'.

Everyone seemed acutely surprised but not remotely bothered by Hanssen's presence at their table. Mo gave up her attempts at small talk with the Swede, and turned back to Jac to finish their conversation on Ollie and Tara's wedding. Serena watched with a smirk as Hanssen blew off Mo's attempts to engage him in chit-chat, glancing nervously at the bar every thirty seconds. Every time she chanced a glance in that direction, Blonde had a ready-and-waiting glare for her. Serena couldn't deny she got a sadistic kick out of making someone jealous.  
"So, Blondie over there not your type?" She whispered, leaning closer to Hanssen. He, of course, shot their close proximity a questioning glance. She ignored this and repeated her question. He shook his head. 'So, who is your type?' Shrug. Sweet Jesus, it's like getting blood from a stone.  
"Are you sure she's not?" She questions, studying him over the rim of her glass. "It's just that it's been rumoured you quite enjoyed those pictures of 'Dr Honey' was it?" If she got a pound for every time she made him blush that night, she'd be a millionaire.  
"Michael?" She calls down the table. He finishes his conversation with Jac and Mo before calling back.  
"Wassup Rena?" She notices the use of her nickname this time and sighs.  
"What's your F1 called?"  
"Gemma?" He is clearly baffled.  
"I meant – her other name." Michael grins.  
"Dr Honey I think is what you're looking for." Serena smiles triumphantly.  
"I was right! Although I'm sure the only interest you had in those pictures were professional." She adds, trying and failing to look serious. Hanssen's look warns her off pursuing what kind of interest he had in Dr Honey. Mo, Jac and Michael all smirked at the look on Hanssen's face after Serena's last comment, having made sure they specifically overheard it.  
"Hey guys!" A familiar Scottish drawl interrupted the flow of conversation on Michael's table. Everyone in the pub turned their attention to the middle of the room, where a slightly-nervous Jonny was stood, microphone in hand, addressing the pub. "First off, is the microphone necessary Mike?" Jonny asks, turning to the barman who was wiping down a near-by table.  
"Aye, Jonny Mac." He grins to his old friend. Jonny grins back, having not seen Mike in a few years, he was over the moon to find he was working here.  
"Ok." He continues. "All us lot from Holby hospital" He gestures to the tables containing Holby's staff. "Are taking part in a Nativity." For some reason, the non-Hospital lot felt the reason to clap loudly at this. It probably had something to do with the alcohol, Jonny concludes. "Now, me and Jac had the pleasure of providing you with your roles which to this point we have refused to tell you." The Hospital lot groaned their protest. "However, I've decided that I'm going to let you all know your parts now, if that's agreed with Ms Naylor?" Jac nodded indifferently. "Right." Jonny grinned – might as well make this fun. "Cheer if you want to know your part NOW!" Everyone, Hospital and non-Hospital (bar Hanssen) cheered loudly, much to the amusement of Jonny and any other sober person left. "Louder!" Jonny cries, much to the despair of Jac. She often wondered why she allowed herself in public with him. When his demand is met, he's pulls a list out of his pocket. "Right – here we go-"


	3. Chapter 3

**I decided to make you wait a while longer bar one role because I'm feeling devilish but don't worry, you'll find out soon who's playing who soon! You're reviews make me feel so FUZZY and warm and…Happy! Thank you so much people you are amazing! Please keep them coming and I hope you enjoy this! **

"Oh shit!" Jonny exclaimed as he scanned the paper before him.  
"What?" Serena called, desperate to be put out of her misery. Michael also looked nervous. He'd been fretting about the play since a comment from Jac a few days ago that was along the lines of 'you're gonna regret that day you bought your first boob job to Darwin, Spence!' All he could do was hope she remembered the day he saved her life.  
"This is my neighbour's shopping list!" He mumbled, re-reading the list before him and hoping it will merge into the names of his colleagues and the characters from the Nativity.  
"What!" Jac called, draining the last of her wine before reaching across Mo to re-fill her glass.  
"My neighbour is heavily pregnant and I told her I'd pop to the shops for her. I must have picked this up from my locker instead of the other one! Look – Bread, milk, tampon- She did that one purpose!" He blushed at the laughter of everyone in the pub.  
"You pillock, Maconie!" Jac moaned.  
"Oh, you dunce!" Mo sighed, although to be honest she wasn't really surprised, Jonny wasn't the most organised of people.  
"Can you remember any of the roles?" Serena begged. Jonny shook his head desperately before turning to Jac.  
"You?" He asked, hoping the young consultant could help him out.  
"Yeah, Joseph." Jonny's face lit up at this memory-jogger.  
"Oh, Christ yeah, that role belongs to you Mr H." The wine Hanssen was about to pour into his glass missed and went all over the table as Jonny's words sunk in. Everyone laughed at his reaction and a lot of sheer panic shot across his face.  
"What?" He finally managed.  
"You're gonna play Joseph."  
"This is a bad joke, surely?" When Jonny shook his head, he turned desperately to Jac. She, of course, gave the same answer as Jonny. The answer he didn't want to hear. Michael reached across Jac to pat Hanssen on the shoulder.  
"Could be worse." Hanssen glared at Michael who, even though he was spectacularly drunk, withdrew his hand quickly. He didn't have a death-wish after all. Serena patted Hanssen on the leg while Chantelle headed over with a pack of tissues to wipe up the spilt liquid.  
"He's right. It's only a Nativity for Paeds. It's not the end of the world." Serena grinned, still unable to believe Jac and Jonny's cheek to make Hanssen play one of the main parts. The look on his face told everyone that to him, it was definitely worse than the end of the world.  
"Why?" He asked Jonny who was still stood, clutching the microphone.  
"Because you're our daddy." The innocent way he said this made everyone laugh again. Jac shook her head and hoped Hanssen took to this lightly, for her sake as much as his.  
"Which makes you the infuriating toddler who isn't organized and constantly pushes his boundaries to the limits." Hanssen mumbled.  
"Yup! And Ms Campbell our mummy." Serena glared at Jonny's charm but found she didn't mind as much as last time Michael had tried calling her 'mum'. "And no, Digby, that doesn't mean Mr H and Ms Campbell are shagg-" Mo's warning look was enough to make sure he didn't finish that sentence.  
"I'm the smooth uncle who all the little kiddies love." Michael grinned, throwing his arm around Serena's shoulder. "And, of course, I'm mummy's favourite." Serena punched him playfully in the stomach but surprised everyone by resting her head on his shoulder for a few moments.  
"Can I be the special friend mummy wants to shag?" A random man called out. He obviously shouldn't have had the last several drinks he did and it was probably on pure dutch-courage he shouted that out.  
"No." She shouted back.  
"Aww, are you sure you don't want a bit of this?" He slurred, barely able to stand without leaning against the bar for support.  
"Do you know the definition of sexual harassment?" Although she seemed calm, Hanssen felt her shuffle closer, probably subconsciously, for some sort of comfort.  
"I hear you!" She let out deep sigh.  
"Sleazy git." She whispered to Hanssen while Jonny addressed his audience.  
"Well, that's all we got! Who wants to hear a Christmas joke?" Everyone shouted 'yes!' bar Jac, who shouted 'No! Don't you dare get on that stage Maconie!' Too late. Jonny climbed happily on to the stage on the corner and played up to his crowd.  
"Right, what do you call a baby snowman?"  
"Don't know, what do you call a baby snowman?" The pub shouted back, Jac included this time.  
"A snowball!" Jac rolled her eyes at this pathetic joke while the rest of the crowd burst in loud laughter.  
"Down, Maconie, now!" She warned.  
"Oops. The missus calls!" Jac froze at this before glancing nervously at Hanssen. Everyone else knew, but Hanssen wasn't supposed to at all. However, he just looked thoroughly amused and even let a ghost of a smile cross his face as Jonny's last comment. He leant around Serena to whisper to Jac, "Are you sure? It's unlikely your boyfriend will go down without a fight."  
"He's not my boyfriend!" Was of course Jac's immediate defensive retort without thinking.  
"Oh I think he is!"  
"Who wants me to go?" Everyone shouted their protest and Jonny shot Jac an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Jac, you've been outnumbered! So, who's looking forward to CHRISTMAS!" A round of cheers answered his question. "Excellent! So, who's spending their Christmas with someone special?" Jac bowed her head as she felt Jonny staring right at her. "Because I am." She closed her eyes and silently begged that he would shut up. "She's here." Serena nudged Jac with a wink before whispering 'He's talking about you' theatrically. "She's truly amazing and I'm eternally grateful for anytime I can spend with her and her body." Jac rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a massive love-struck grin spread across her face. Once-upon-a-time she would have been embarrassed and annoyed at Jonny for this stunt. But she found she wasn't embarrassed to call the Scottish Nurse her boyfriend. "I want to let her know how much she means to me in front of all of you. And our colleagues. From our kindest – evening Professor Hope." Elliot grinned proudly at this while Jonny climbed back off the stage and made his way over to their tables. "To our scariest. Evening Ms Campbell, Mr Hanssen." Jonny placed his hand on Serena's shoulder while Hanssen threw him a soft glare.  
"Cheeky bugga." Serena scolded, but was barely able to remain offended by this.  
"Ah, but its true isn't it!" Jonny grinned. "I'm not scared of you though!" He lied and before she even had the chance to answer, he lent in quickly and placed a soft kiss on Serena's cheek before jumping back quickly. Jac looked mortified at his actions, and thanked God it could be blamed on the alcohol. Serena just rolled her eyes and shot Jac a look, silently telling her not to worry. Everyone watched as Jonny headed back to his table to get his beer but Jac followed. Just as he was about to take a sip, she grabbed it from his hands.  
"That's enough, you." She said sternly, holding it from his reach.  
"What are you talking about?" Jac immediately heard the slur in his words earlier had disappeared. She shook her head at his cleverness/stupidity. "Only you Maconie. Only you would pretend to be drunk so you could kiss Serena and live to tell the tale!" Jonny grinned proudly.  
"Worked did it not?" Jac sighed but deciding he wasn't actually that drunk, handed the beer back. As she slumped into her seat, Serena patted her kindly on the arm.  
"He's a one and only, is your Jonny Mac." She winked.  
"Isn't he just!"  
"Anyway," Jonny continued from his interruption. "As I was saying, you mean a lot to me Jac." She felt a hand on her back and smiled up into the face she loved. "I'm going to cherish every memory with you for the rest of my life. In and out of the workplace. Oh, and that reminds me, Mr H, I was going to run this idea past you anyway. You might want to limit your staff's availability to the store cupboards and on-call rooms." Everyone exploded into laughter as Jac blushed furiously.  
"I'll bear it in mind, thank you Nurse Maconie." Jac chanced a glance in his direction. Well, if he was amused then she could maybe afford to relax. Jonny winked at Hanssen before looking down at Jac. "I l-word you Jac." He whispered, although, of course, it came out loudly on the microphone.  
"I _love _you, you Scottish prat." She whispered back, unashamed, in front of all her colleagues. The people she'd normally do anything to not let them hear her private life. Cheers and wolf-whistles, much to her embarrassment, exploded around the room as he kissed her lightly.  
"Now, as a Christmas treat, who will treat us to a song?" He pulled a second microphone out of his pocket with a flourish, as if it was a magic trick. A handful of drunk people stuck their hands up in response, but Jonny's focus was on the table he was standing by. Most of his friends shook their heads but Jonny just grinned. "One of you must!"  
"Jac will!"  
"How about Mo?"  
"Spence will do it!"  
"How about Mr Hanssen?" Jonny's face lit up at this suggestion.  
"Definitely Mr H!" Hanssen shook his head.  
"Definitely _not _Mr Hanssen." He replied sternly.  
"Daddy has to do it." Serena chipped in, desperate to hear Hanssen sing. He glared at her for her unhelpfulness. The look on Jonny's face told her she would soon regret this comment.  
"Oh My God!" He grinned. "Daddy and _Mummy_ do a duet!" This suggestion resulted in the whole pub cheering and Serena glanced nervously at Hanssen.  
"I'm sorry." She mouthed, her eyes wide. Jonny set up a chant, and soon the whole pub was chanting 'Daddy, Mummy, Daddy, Mummy, Dad-"  
"Fine!" Serena shouted. "Just shut up!" She reached out and grabbed Hanssen's hand. "Come on." She moaned, pulling him in the direction of the stage, glad she had drunk as much as she had to help deal with was she was about to do. Jonny followed on as everyone sat in silence, waiting for the music.  
"Hit it, Mike." Mike grinned as he hit the play button on his brand-new CD player which his wife had bought for him as an early Christmas present. Even though he didn't know them, he had a feeling his poor friend was going to get in trouble for this. When the introduction to the music started, Hanssen audibly groaned as he accepted the mic from Jonny.  
"You have to be joking me?!" He exclaimed, recognising the song immediately.  
"You are dead Maconie." Serena hissed, snatching the mic from the scared-looking nurse. "Know the lyrics?" She asked Hanssen, who nodded reluctantly. 'Bit late if I didn't' he noted wryly. He swallowed and took a deep breath as his cue came.  
**"Baby when I met you there was peace unknown  
I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb  
I was soft inside  
There was something going on." **He sang nervously, wondering if it was physically possible for his heart to beat any faster.

"**You do something to me I can't explain-" **Serena joined in, and he immediately relaxed.

All the staff from Holby present had, at the very least, massive grins on their faces. Michael had his phone out and was recording this once-in-a-lifetime moment while silent tears fell down his cheeks. Chantelle was buried somewhere in Digby's chest while, in turn, Malick had his face in Chantelle's shoulder. Elliot was busy using his tie as a tissue while Jac and Jonny used each other's shoulders. Mo tried fighting with Michael over his phone, feeling guilty about this being all over the hospital by midnight but seeing as he was stronger, she just gave up and enjoyed the show for what is was worth.  
"**We ride it together, ah-ah  
Making love with each other, ah-ah."**  
The childish side in everyone became dominant as they burst into laughter at their last line.  
"You may think of yourselves as our children, but you don't need to act like it!" Serena scolded when she got the chance between the verses, much to the amusement of everyone. As they burst into the chorus, Hanssen and Serena, who were previously stood facing the audience, spun to face each other in a very Dolly-Parton-and-Kenny-Rogers style. By that point, they had both chilled into the song and genuine smiles crossed their faces. Neither of them could believe the fact that they were singing 'Islands in the Steam' to each other in the middle of the pub, in front of their colleagues who will hold this against them until the day they die. Things between the two of them were never friendly and they turned positively tense when he returned from Sweden. Nothing improved when she made the complaint against the hospital in the aftermath of her mother's stroke and they'd spent a lot of time avoiding to each other, which was definitely a mutual decision. It felt good for both of them to put everything else behind them and sing their hearts out.

"You know, they're not that bad!" Jac observed, still cuddled into Jonny.  
"Not that bad? They're bloody brilliant!" Michael grinned, oh how he was never going to forget this moment or let his Rena forget it either. "Hey you two!" He called out, helped by the never-ending bottles of beer he'd drunk that evening. "If the whole medicine thing ever gets too much for you, you have ready-made careers right here!" Both of them glared in response but they couldn't stop slight-pleased looks crossing their faces.

**"Oh, won't you sail away with me." **They concluded the song, and the audience congratulated them with a well-deserved round of applause, cheers, and whistles, depending on how much they had to drink. Serena reached for Hanssen's hand as they bowed theatrically to their waiting audience. In this time, Jonny had re-appeared on the stage and shook both of their hands with mumbled apologies. When they laid to rest his worries of them killing him for his prank, he took the mic from Serena.  
"A song well sung, no guys?!" The pub still hadn't subsided their cheers. "Doesn't she even deserve a hug, Mr H?" He swallowed, immediately regretting it as he realised what he'd said. Perhaps he had had too much to drink… But, thankfully, Hanssen didn't seem too bothered and Serena less than cared as she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered 'well done' so only he could hear. Only those who looked carefully would see the tips of his ears turn pink as she hugged him in front of everyone. Serena wondered what the hell had come over her, did she really have her arms around the neck of the man who couldn't even deal with standing close to someone?! She quickly freed him and stepped back, a furious and very unwanted blush rapidly appearing.  
"A kiss?" Jac tensed, stricken, as Jonny spoke again. The man had clearly not been as sober as she'd thought. She realised fleetingly she should of stopped him from taking the mic when she had the chance…'You git' she mumbled under her breath.

Jonny approached Serena hesitantly from behind but when she looked like she wasn't going to bite, he tilted her head. "Not a little peck there?" He pouted to Hanssen, lightly tapping her cheek. A small smile crossed his face when the crowd chanted 'Kiss, Kiss!' and he took a step forward. Jonny didn't let go of her when Hanssen bent down to kiss her cheek. On an alcohol-induced whim Jonny jolted her head last minute so instead of her cheek, Hanssen's lips came into contact with hers. Along with the rest of the pub, they both froze and desperately wanted to break the kiss. But neither of them could bring themselves to and so they just remained unmoving, hoping the other one would do something soon. It was only when the pub started cheering what felt like a lifetime later Serena came to her senses and hesitantly broke the kiss. With a deep breath, she chanced a glance to the tables containing her friends. Jac looked _mortified _but slightly knowing, while everyone else's mouths were hanging open in complete shock. Not daring to look at Hanssen, especially if the kiss made him feel the way it did her, she just turned to Jonny. A deep look of regret spread across his face as he backed into the corner, suddenly becoming really-rather sober. His eyes wide, he just opened his mouth in an attempt to apologize but found it just got stuck in the back of his throat. "I…er…um…I…Three things. Can I still run the Nativity, will you kill me and can I keep my job?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I didn't go for conventional 'lol' in this chapter (or probably the next) because these two are probably gonna be more based on Serena and Hanssen type thing. I didn't realise this story was going to be as long as I'm planning…I'm already on the 4****th****! Oh well, you guys can try and stick with it!x I will start to base it around the actual Nativity play in the next few chapters!  
Thank you for all your lovely reviews – they definitely make my day every time – please keep them coming!xx  
Disclaimer time: I don't own any of this, btw! I just play with the character and drop 'em back as and when! I don't own Henrik Hanssen. Or Guy Henry. Sigh. If I did, you guys would all be invited over to meet him!xx ;)  
Enjoy!**__

"I…er…um…I…Three things. Can I still run the Nativity, will you kill me and can I keep my job?"

"I don't care. It's inevitable, and absolutely not!" Serena hissed.  
"Look, I'm really sorry." Jonny whispered, clutching the microphone tightly. He wasn't sure why, it was hardly going to delete what he had just done. "I didn't mean-"  
"Are you being serious?" She raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You didn't mean to? Don't tell me a spirit took you over? No? You have schizophrenia?"  
Jac threw her head into her hands while Mo next to her was draining her glass before filling it to the top again. She glanced at it hopefully. Who knows, maybe she could drink away her best friend's embarrassment. Malick looked thoughtful before whispering in Elliot's ear. 'She looked like she kinda enjoyed it.' Elliot smiled. 'He didn't look too unhappy by it either. What do you think, F1?" As he realised he was being addressed, Digby pushed his glasses nervously up his nose before clearing his throat.  
'I…er…I…yes, I mean no, I…er…Ca-can you repeat the question?" Malick rolled his eyes.  
'Serena and the Big H, what do you think?'  
'I…I didn't think they were…you know.' Digby rubbed his neck awkwardly.  
'Neither did we.' Malick looked proud, as if it was him who had made them kiss, instead of the skittish Nurse on stage who was still trying to give futile apologies. 'Bugsy I tell everyone on Keller.' Digby looked baffled.  
'Keller? But…why would they care?' Malick gave a sarcastic 'Awww' before patting him on the shoulder.  
'They're almost too cute when they're so naïve aren't they?' He grinned to Elliot.

"I'm sorry. I'll work overtime?" Jonny suggested, swallowing nervously.  
"Overtime!" Serena sneered. "Do you really think-" A gentle but firm pressure on her back was enough to shut her up.  
"Ms Campbell." Hanssen said softly. "No one's died so perhaps you could just leave the poor man, he has apologized." Jonny sighed his relief. If the Swede didn't want to kill him, there was a chance he could get out of the pub with his dignity – and more important, his head – intact. Serena threw her hands up in surrender.  
"Fine! But I warn you, Maconie. If even a scent of a rumour reaches me, I will soon find out whether a Scottish Nurse tastes as nice as a turkey for my Christmas dinner, Ok?!" Jonny's eyes widened in terror as Serena glared at him. Maybe he wasn't out of the woods yet.  
"The worst thing is, Nurse Maconie, I don't believe she's joking." Hanssen said, pretending to almost look sorry for the sweating man before him.  
"Yeah, it was nice knowing ya, my friend!" Malick called. Jonny looked at him suspiciously. How had Malick heard that? He was about to ask as much when he also felt a hand on his back.  
"Shall we sit down?" Hanssen suggested and without an answer, guided both of them back to their tables. A couple of drunk men took to their stage in their absence and where now badly singing along to an old classic number. Mo, Jac and Michael had moved tables during Serena and Hanssen's song, so everyone from the hospital was sitting at the same table. Before Jonny had the chance to sit down, Jac had grabbed him tightly by the arm and before he had the chance to protest, she had dragged him to the corner and started berating him.

"Poor man!" Malick sighed, shaking his head at the corner.  
"I'd rather take on Mr Hanssen _and_ Ms Campbell than Ms Naylor." Elliot agreed.  
"Thank you Professor Hope." Hanssen quipped dryly.  
"I can't watch this!" Chantelle squirmed.  
"Oh, I don't think it will be that bad. Jac's bark is worse than her bite!" Michael contradicted them. They all looked at him in disbelief. "What? Oh come on, the worst it will be is no sex for a week or something." Serena snorted into her wine glass while Michael clapped her helpfully on her back.  
"Can you stop this?" Chantelle asked Serena. Although things had been uncomfortable between them since Serena dropped the complaint, out of the hospital Chantelle felt slightly more confident when Serena couldn't use her consultant position over her.  
"What?" Serena asked, as if she was asking she just randomly stabbed someone in the back and watch them die. Asking someone to cross Jac Naylor when she was on a warpath was as good as asking someone to jump off a plane 100ft in the air.  
"Well, it was you and Mr Hanssen Jonny made kiss." They both shifted awkwardly at this – which didn't go unnoticed by Michael. They hadn't even been able to make eye contact yet.  
"Nurse Lane may be right." Hanssen mumbled. "I don't fancy attending one of nurse's funerals anytime soon." Serena couldn't help but laugh at this.  
"Yeah, if anyone's going to kill him, I wouldn't want Jac to take all the glory." She winked. She stood up and when she made her way over, a wickedly mean thought crossed her mind.  
"Jac." She placed a hand on Jac's shoulder and pulled her back a few paces. "Come on, don't worry about it." She whispered. Her eyes began to sparkle and it took all her effort to try and keep a straight face. "Mr Hanssen and myself will deal with Nurse Maconie as we see fit on Monday, Ok?" She asked Jonny. His eyes widened in panic and she almost burst out laughing at the expression on his face. Priceless.  
"You will?" He swallowed nervously. Serena nodded, her expression deadly, before glancing at the table. Taking the hint, Jonny practically ran to his seat and sandwiched himself between Elliot and Malick.  
"Go as hard as you want, he shouldn't have done that!" Jac approved, following him back to their table.  
"Will do!" Serena replied, still having to use all her effort to keep a straight face.  
"When I have to deal with someone 'as I see fit', I like to be aware of it beforehand." Hanssen whispered as she slipped into her seat beside him.  
"Oh don't worry about that." As expected, he raised a quizzical eyebrow. "I…ah…we're not going to tell him off." She finally grinned, unable to hold it in any longer.  
"Excuse me? Then why did you say we were?" She sighed. As intelligent as the man was, he was very dense at times.  
"I enjoy watching people squirm. Especially people who are already scared to death of me. He's going to have to stew on it for the whole weekend." Hanssen opened his mouth as if he was going to reply, but then thought better of it and closed it again.  
"Ah, I see. A case of the fear of death is worse than death itself. Is that really appropriate?" He finally enquired.  
"Do I care? That idiot needs to learn a lesson! Oh come on, do you enjoy watching grown men cry? Actually!" She said quickly, almost immediately after her question. "Don't answer that!" His eyebrows were raised in amusement but apart from that he gave no other reaction. "Just do some of your Mr Hanssen stuff. You know, like your glares, looming, anything. Just make him nervous, yeah?"  
"One of the more unusual requests I've received." He quipped. She was about to reply when the pub door flew open with so much emphasis a silence fell over the whole pub. A young man was stood at the door, his hair and coat covered in a dust-like layer of snow but his cheeks were red and his was breathing heavily, as if he had ran the whole way.  
"Mike…Help, it's…Gabby. She's. In…in labour." He finally managed to pant as he took deep breaths to try and steady his breathing. Mike froze and a look of panic spread across his face.  
"What? Are you sure? Definitely? It's not just indigestion?" The young man shot him a friendly glare.  
"I think we tell the difference between heart burn and bloody contractions, thanks." He sighed, jumping nervously from foot to foot.  
"Ok, ok, calm down! Have you called an ambulance? Can you drive her to the hospital?" The man shook his head, in turn shaking snow everywhere, before he started to pace up and down.  
"It's a bloody blizzard out there! Can't get the car out. Top it all off, we've had a power cut so I can't get hold of an ambulance. That's why I'm here, can you call one for me, please Mike?"  
"Aye, of course!" He replied immediately, disappearing behind the bar to get his phone. When the man started to squeeze his hands together in apprehension as Mike began to talk into the phone, Serena hurried over.  
"What's your name?" She asked softly.  
"Edward." Came his short reply.  
"Well, lucky for you Edward, you've walked into a pub filled with doctors." She smiled. He froze and a wave of relief broke over his over wise tensed face.  
"What? You're joking right?"  
"No, Mike's pub's overflowing with them. I'm Serena Campbell, consultant at Holby City hospital." Edward eagerly accepted the hand she offered.  
"Seriously? Will you come and help me? She's at home and I don't think she's gonna hold on much longer, I need help." He said quickly, his words coming out as one big word.  
"That's not good idea. Not only are we not Obstetricians or midwifes, we have been drinking and just another small matter. We're not on shift!" Hanssen said firmly, having followed her over to the bar.  
"Henrik!" She asserted. "Becoming a doctor is a vocation! You are on shift twenty four hours a day, seven days a week! I haven't had that much to drink." She looked around at the table containing her colleagues. "Right, two people need to go. Who's had the least to drink and who's able to deliver a baby?" Michael immediately volunteered himself but Serena just rolled her eyes.  
"Michael! Not only can you not put one foot in front of the other, I bet you can't tell one end of the body from the other in the state you're in!"  
"I know my way around a woman's body, thanks!" He smirked.  
"He's definitely not going!" Jac concluded. "He knows nothing about delivering the baby. He can only just conceive them!" Malick and Mo snorted while Elliot tried to wipe the amused expression off of his face.  
"Jac?" Jac's face contorted into a look of disgust.  
"No way! I can't do the whole emotional bit at the end, it makes me-" She shivered and mimed being sick.  
"No, Serena, you have to go." Michael said. "Jac can't physically do happy!"  
"I could, I just don't want to! I'd be a much better choice than Serena, but I choose not to!" Michael snorted and Jac glared.  
"What? I have experience in both Cardio and General Fields so I'd be the best to make sure the mother is Ok!"  
"Very good fighting talk Ms Naylor. And yet there's one area Ms Campbell has a definite advantage. Her ability to act like a human being rather than a disgruntled barracuda." Hanssen quipped. Jac gave an involuntary look of protest but remained silent.  
"A disgruntled what?" Chantelle asked, her brow furrowed in effort.  
"All in good time, Channers." Malick grinned.  
"Right, I'm going." Serena said, turning to Edward.  
"No!" Hanssen said, folding his arms. "As Director of Surgery I cannot let you. It's against Hospital Policy-"  
"Stuff hospital policy!" Serena shouted. "I became a doctor to help patients. Not to play politics. No else is going to help her!"  
"I don't care if there are alcoholics more sober than you, I need help." Edward chipped in.  
"There's a difference between playing politics and doing your job properly!" He replied sharply.  
"Do my job properly! I am doing my job!" She took a few deep breaths to steady the anger bubbling in her. "Look," She said, her voice soft again. "I'm helping this woman, with or without you're blessing. Without will just cost time and probably my job. Either you're with me or not. Choose." He remained silent, as if he was in deep thought. "Come on, you became a doctor for the patients, too. You didn't become a doctor to arse-lick Cunningham." Somehow, she found her hand was on his arm. "You've had the least too drink out of all of us. Do your job. We need to make sure if the baby is safe." He let out a long sigh before shaking his head. "Fine." She hissed. "Just go home and hide yourself away and forget about this woman abandoned in the snow about to give birth. I'm disappointed Henrik, I thought you were more than a political monkey. Come on." She sighed to Edward. He smiled at her gratefully and led the way to the door. Just as she was about to follow him out, a strong hand enclosed around her wrist and pulled her back.  
"Change your mind?" She asked hopefully. "Did you ever go pub-crawling as a student?" As predicted, he shook his head. "No, well us normal people did. And if there's one rule you learn, it's this. What happens at a pub, stays in the pub. Everyone took that doctor's oath, so if you help, that knowledge stays right here, am I right?" Everyone from the hospital nodded and Malick stood up.  
"Come on Mr Hanssen, sir, you're not going to get sacked. We won't let anyone sack you!"  
"And on what grounds would you stop them?" He asked, his eyebrow raised. "If I was to help a patient whilst drunk and off-shift, I'm afraid we have no case."  
"We would say that if you left Holby, we'll all leave too."  
"You'd do that?" Malick cleared his throat before giving a small shrug.  
"Nah, probably not. I love my job." Hanssen gave a small smile before Malick broke his serious expression and grinned. "Of course we would. Now do your job, Mr Hanssen."  
"Right." This seemed to have triggered something in Hanssen and he grabbed Serena's hand. "Let's go." Edward sighed his relief and thanked them continuously.  
"It's fine." Serena said quickly. "Just lead the way." He nodded and hurried to the door and had disappeared into the night before the two consultants had reached the door.  
"Wait!" Mike called, having re-appeared from calling the ambulance. "That Mic is mine!" He informed them, referring to the microphone still in Hanssen's hand. They just ignored him and he sighed as Serena pulled open the door. "Hey! That microphone is this pub's property!" They both spun around and glared at him. "SHUT UP!" They shouted simultaneously before disappearing after Edward.

"They definitely have style!" Jac grinned at Mike's taken aback expression. "And that's one speech and a half on Serena's part. My respect for her has suddenly shot up." Jac admitted, still staring at the spot they had disappeared from. "Any woman who can get away with calling Hanssen a political monkey has deserves some respect!"  
"I respect anyone who's first words to me were 'ooh – nice man bag'!" Malick grinned.  
"Actually, Naylor, I know who could get away with worse than that!" Michael laughed knowingly.  
"Who?" The wine seemed to have a direct effect on Jac's neurological system.  
"Shah." Jac let out a short, humourless laugh.  
"Yeah! Sahira Shah would be able to kick him in the you-know-what's and still he'd come crawling back for more." Jac gave a glare at just the memory of Sahira and her special relationship with 'Hubby'. Saying it made Jac's life hell was the understatement of the century.  
"Sahira Shah? Wasn't she a registrar, cardio?" Digby enquired. Almost everyone had hear the rumour of Hanssen's little pet.  
"Yep." Was Jac's flat reply.  
"Did…they…actually…er…" He suddenly became very awkward, and it showed with the nervous push of the glasses.  
"Shag? Christ knows. It was a very dark and shady relationship." Jac replied mysteriously. "One thing's certain. He fancied the pants off of her. Literally. If Sahira Shah said jump from a cliff, he'd say what one. If _Sahira Shah_ said write my report, he'd say blue or black pen. If Sahira bloody Shah said shag me, he'd say how har-"  
"Don't you dare finish that, Ms Naylor!" Elliot exclaimed while Jonny tried to control his shaking shoulders.  
"I know she was your favourite as well, Elliot." As much as she tried to remain upbeat, everyone could tell her tone held a hint of bitterness. "Now, who's buying me a drink?" She called around the table.  
"Not meeee!" Malick called back.  
"C'mon Malick, we'll do this round together." Michael suggested, holding his hand up to the young registrar. "Hey! Don't leave me hanging!" Michael grumbled and Malick finally relented and high-fived the American.  
"Just because you have thousands to waste Spence, doesn't mean I do. I'm only on registrar's wage!" Michael grinned.  
"Oh, yeah, sorry man. I forgot what it's like to earn peanuts."  
"You won't be saying that when I'm the world's leading consultant!"  
"Yeah, and I'm Cinderella." Michael grinned, fluttering his eyelashes, princess-style.  
"I thought being bitchy was down to the girls?" Jac asked, shaking her head.  
"How are we getting home?" Chantelle suddenly asked. "It's a blizzard out there!"  
"We'll just have to put up with it." Elliot sighed.  
"I'm glad I didn't bring my car, I'd never be able to drive in that!" Chantelle said. Jac looked mortified.  
"You…are allowed on the road...In charge…of a vehicle?" Chantelle nodded earnestly.  
"Yeah!"  
"Really?" Jac looked less than convinced. Who, in their right mind, would allow Chantelle Lane onto the road?  
"Yeah! Why?" Chantelle looked baffled but everyone else was trying not to laugh at Jac's reaction.  
"Er…no reason."  
"Jac?" Michael interrupted. "What do you want?"  
"Whatever costs the most." Jac said dryly. "It's free, after all."  
"Make that a cheap wine then." Malick mumbled.  
"Definitely." Michael grinned. "Are you sure you don't want some chocolate as well, Naylor?" Jac looked mildly disgusted.  
"Save the sugar and fat for people who want to be overweight." She replied immediately.  
"Better than being an anorexic stick-instect." Mo mumbled, luckily quiet enough so Jac couldn't hear.  
"Aww, Ms Naylor! You should eat you know, you look like you could really do with a slice of my mum's chocolate cake." Chantelle grinned kindly.  
"I don't do chocolate." Jac quipped. Being the cold-hearted and distant bitch she was, Chantelle's relentless cheeriness made her want to take a gun to her head.  
"How can you not do chocolate! It's my biggest weakness! I hate being hungry though! You know, the other day, I had to miss breakfast, yeah, and by 11am I was so hungry I almost swallowed my gum!" Jac just looked at Chantelle strangely.  
"Er…Channers…fancy helping me and Spence?" Malick suggested quickly, not liking the expression on Jac's face.  
"Sure!" Chantelle grinned, jumping up.  
"How'd you think Romeo and Juliet are getting on?" Jac asked out loud.  
"Romeo and Juliet?" Elliot asked. Try as he might, Jac sense of humour was one of life's true complications.  
"Oh come on! On stage, the ABBA star and his side-kick both lingered! But the rumours could damage both of their egos and reputations, so it's like forbidden love. You know, like Romeo and Juliet?"  
"Funny, Jac. You should consider stand-up as a secondary career." Jac grinned.  
"Yeah, it's one of my natural quirks."

Both Serena and Hanssen had to follow Edward step-for-step when they entered the house. The layout was obviously foreign to them and the fact they were in pitch-black because of the power-cut didn't help. Edward burst into the bedroom, followed immediately by Hanssen and Serena.  
"Gabby! Are you alright darling?" Serena rolled her eyes. The worst thing to ask a woman in labour is 'are you alright?' "The ambulance is on its way and I've got two doctors!" Although Gabby seemed relief, the pain she was experienced seemed to be the more dominant part of her life right at that moment.  
"I don't care if you got two untrained gorillas from the bloody zoo! I want this baby out, NOW!" Gabby hissed, her grip on the edge of her bed tightening as the pain overtook her.  
"Yeah, and I want to be married to a handsome millionaire. Life's a bitch isn't it?" Serena sighed melodramatically while the corners of Hanssen's mouth twitched – his only sign of amusement.  
"So," Hanssen began, stepping further into the room. "I shall ask in my best General Practitioner tone, what seems to be the problem?" Gabby just stared at him before turning to Serena.  
"Is that prat for real?" She panted in between breaths.  
"Sadly, yes. Trust me, you get use to Mr Hanssen's sense of humour." She smiled.  
"Prat?" He hissed in her ear.  
"Well, I would have suggested another term, but I wouldn't want to lie." She grinned. He just rolled his eyes as he tore his jacket off and discarding it on the floor somewhere. Just as he started to undo the buttons on his cuffs so he could roll his sleeves up, Serena wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.  
"I'm glad you came. You're more of a man than that prat Cunningham and all the uncompassionate twats on the Board. You only had one or two glasses of wine. You're doing your job, that's worth more than their approval." She whispered. "Oh, and if you _do _get fired, feel free to blame me."  
"I wouldn't hesitate. Thank you Ms Campbell but I can't actually breathe." He grimaced back.  
"Shut up you git! I normally channel my inner Jac Naylor and don't do this touchy-feely crap, so feel honoured!" She could feel his rib-cage move as he gave a small laugh and a rouge thought crossed her mind that he really was too skinny. Just as he began to rub her back awkwardly in response, they were interrupted by a heavy panting from Gabby on the bed.  
"Sorry. To. Be. A. Bloody. Inconvenience. To. Your. Little. Cosy. Moment. But. Just. In. Case. You. Have. Forgotten. I'm. In. Fucking. Labour!" Serena immediately let him go and turned to face Gabby. Just as she let out a shout of pain, Serena and Hanssen glanced apprehensively at each other. Oh this was going to be one hell of a night…

**Oh, and I don't actually know whether Chantelle can drive? Just pretend, yeah?!x **

**Hope you liked, Let me know what you think, oui?!x ;) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi Guys! My internet's been down recently and I only got it back tonight so I stayed behind after school for about half an hour yesterday to start on this chapter and it was just my luck to pick the ICT suite the teachers were having a meeting in…:/  
Argument with my sister:  
*I point out kindly that horoscopes from the internet don't always tend to be real – apologies to people who disagree!*  
Sis: Shut up! You watch Holby which is made up and rubbish!  
Me: *holds back my middle finger* Er…Well, I know now there **_**was **_**a fifth member of ABBA (Wasn't there, Mr Hanssen, Ms Campbell?!), and that unless your Connie Beauchamp, you should never attempt to ride a trolley. Oh, and I can now diagnose a spontaneous pneumothorax and triple A (****Abdominal aortic aneurysm)****. You?"  
Sis: *Silence*  
Me: Methinks I won that one!**

**This proves my point that Holby is amazing and no one should try and disagree with me… ;)**  
**I haven't been able to update recently (because of internet which feels the need to annoy me beyond belief) so sorry 'bout that but my family have annoyed me and I haven't even been in 5 minutes so I'm locking myself in my room tonight and writing all evening (it was cool though because when my sister went to storm out of my room, I managed to use Hanssen's "Close the door quietly on your way out!" It was funny..:'))! My productive Fridays nights…;) Thank you so so so much for your reviews they really cheer me up when I need it and make me happy… I am so determined to make this worth your while now! Enjoy you amazing people…**

** xx**

"Oh, look, Dracula's risen from his grave." Malick commented in as much of a whisper as he could manage, referring to the tall man in conversation with Chantelle at Keller's Nurse's station. Digby followed his gaze and looked frightened to death when he caught sight of the Swede. He and Malick shared an apprehensive look. Hanssen had rarely been on Keller recently and when he had materialized, it was either to examine a patient or berate them about something or other. In the mood the man had been in recently, the latter was most likely to be the case.  
"That's a first – he hasn't been on this ward in nearly a week." Ric chipped in, having overhead Malick's comment while he was studying a patient's scan.  
"Yeah, garlic must have worn off." Malick grinned, shifting the position of the stethoscope around his neck, gearing himself up for facing Hanssen.  
"Either that – or haven't you noticed Serena's not currently on the ward?" Ric replied mysteriously.  
"That's my point Mr Griffin, Serena _is _the garlic!" Malick said, accompanying this remark with the quickest of smiles. "Wish me luck." He added on a more serious note. Without waiting for this demand to be met, he strode of purposefully off in the direction of the Nurses Station.  
"What? Ms Campbell isn't a strong-smelling pungent-tasting bulb." Digby commented, looking utterly baffled. Ric just sighed and raised an exasperated eyebrow.  
"The F1 prize wasn't for common sense, was it?" Ric asked sarcastically.  
"No, it was for-" Digby's mouth opened into a comical 'o' when he cottoned on. "Oh! I see! It was a saying!"  
"Yes! Well done." Ric rolled his eyes at the slow response. Digby's understanding face turned suspiciously back into a confused look.  
"But why would he be avoiding Ms Campbell?"  
"You were there weren't you? That night…at the pub?" Digby nodded blankly while Ric stared expectantly. Ric felt like he was banging his head against the brick wall when Digby just stood waiting for an elaboration.  
"Oh! What? You don't think…The kiss?" In the excitement of his understanding, Digby almost shouted the last two words, causing Ric to shush him and glance fleeting around the ward to check no one – especially Hanssen – heard.  
When it was evident no one overheard this, Ric just looked at him in a pointed silence before whispering "I'm not saying anything." with a smile that read 'If you read between the lines, I'm telling you everything.' Digby just watched as Ric followed Malick over to Hanssen, a confused look etched on his face. Why did everyone have to talk in riddles and make life harder than it already was?

"Ah Mr Griffin. Mr Malick." Hanssen greeted in his usual bored drawl, barely glancing up from the clipboard he was studying. Malick fought back the irritated sigh at this poor greeting and just gave a small smile.  
"Mr Hanssen. How can I help?"  
"Oh, you can't. I'm just here to a patient, so if you'll exc-" He never got to finish his dismissal because at that moment a familiar figure appeared over Malick's shoulder.  
"Ah Mr Hanssen. What brings you to the wonderful world of Keller?" Serena smiled, nonplussed to the expression on his face which he managed to successfully cover up in a split second.  
"Patient." He replied sharply. Malick looked mildly surprised at this icy tone and glanced at Serena quizzically. Luckily her mask was better than Hanssen's, and so she was able to shrug her shoulders in an unknowing manner so Malick would believe her ignorance in his bad mood and smiled at the Swede.  
"Fair enough. Knock yourself out." She replied, trying to keep her voice neutral.  
"Are you taking Mr Hargreaves to theatre?" Hanssen enquired, as an elderly man was wheeled past him by the porter Serena recognised to be Malick's son.  
"No, we're going pole vaulting, why'd you ask?" She replied facetiously without thinking. The look on his face told her she should've maybe listened to her mother's 'talks' about how to be in life, talk being her mother jabbering on while Serena attempted to listen. Had she listened, she would know one of life's lessons very important lessons: think before you talk.  
"He's my elective hernia, yes?" He asked impatiently. Serena was surprised, having expected a dry comment back.  
"Yes. And while you're stood here reading files, I think you'll find his hernia's over there." She said, pointing in the direction of his patient.  
"You _have _been to med school. You kept that quiet." He replied, as dry and dead-pan as ever before clearly turning away to scrub in.  
"Wait." She shoved the folder she was carrying on top of his clipboard. "Santa's come early this year and was kind enough to drop a sack full of grumpy patients from AAU off. Take a look at him while you're here, please." She said, careful to make her tone more commanding than asking so he wouldn't disagree. He nodded and barely giving her a second glance, strode of in the direction of his patient.  
"Sweet Jesus what's wrong with him?" Malick whistled, watching Hanssen's retreating back.  
"Ughh, God knows." Serena sighed. She wondered how long she could keep this disinterested exterior up for. "Probably all this-" She signalled to the tinsel Chantelle had hung around the ward that morning. "Hanssen and Christmas cheer doesn't mix, does it? He's probably just freaked out with this level of happiness in the air." She grinned.  
"Do you know what, I often wonder whether certain men have a time of a month, if you get my drift." Serena cringed at this much to Malick's amusement.  
"If that's even possible, Hanssen has a _time of the hour _let alone month!" Serena laughed, carefully checking around first to make sure he'd definitely gone. She'd done that every time she made a snide remark about the Swede since Jac's moment at the bar a week ago.  
"Eeew!" Malick moaned. Serena was about to reply with a childish 'you started it!' When her pager went off.  
"Oh the joys of AAU!" She groaned sarcastically, checking the display message that had flashed up.  
"Don't forget the Nativity rehearsal after your shift!" Malick called cheerfully after her as she set off to exit the ward. At this memory jogger, she turned and glared at him. "Woah!" He grinned, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger!"  
"I'll shoot whoever says the word 'Nativity' or 'play' to me again!" She glared before turning to go to AAU.

"What is it Spence, some of us actually have a mountain of paperwork equivalent to the size of Mount Vesuvius so make it quick." Serena called, catching sight of the American who looked like he was having an enjoyable chat with one of the Nurses at the Nurses Station. She sighed in annoyance. So, he _desperately _needed her assistance, but in the meantime, let's catch up on Holby's gossip, yeah?  
"Ah, Rena. I can make it as, ah, _quick _as you want!" He grinned, winking at the nurse next to him who exploded into crush-like pathetic giggles.  
"Don't push it. What patient is it so I can get out of here."  
"Jeez! You're in a worse mood than the over-sized Grinch." Michael yawned lazily. She tried not to show a reaction at the mention of Hanssen and just raised an unimpressed eyebrow.  
"Right." He sighed, realising she was not in one of her 'I'm in a secretly good mood and I'll crack a smile soon' moods but instead, one of her 'Cross me at the moment and you'll be crossing an upset Rottweiler with a crowbar' moods, he just passed her the notes he'd been studying.  
"Thank you." She sighed, snatching them and flicking through the numerous papers containing valuable information. Without acknowledging him again, she just headed off in the direction of the patient, followed closely by the slightly disgruntled American. He _hated _not being able to help a patient immediately.  
Going through the usual inspections – questions, examinations etc.. – Serena gave the standard 'thank you, if you'll excuse me' exit to the young man on the bed and pulled Michael aside for a word.  
"Diathermy and clip the vessels." She said immediately. Proud of this solution, she almost screamed out loud when Michael shook his head.  
"Tried it. It won't work." He replied seriously.  
"It will! Get another opinion."  
"Who? You're supposed to be my second opinion!" Michael exclaimed.  
"Oh, for Christ's sake, page Hanssen from theatre." She grimaced. She was about to walk off when she felt an rough grip on her arm and taken so much by surprise she didn't even protest when Michael dragged her through the ward and into his office.  
"Ow!" She scolded when he flung her down into his chair.  
"Don't be a baby. Spill." He demanded. Had she not known that he probably asking for what would be considered 'juicy' gossip, Serena might've been touched by the genuine concern in his face.  
"Spill what?" Serena replied. If there was one thing she could do, it was feign innocence.  
"You and the Swede. What's going on?" Serena made a move to get up out of the chair, but Michael held a firm hand on her shoulder. He wasn't going to let her away with this. "Tell!"  
"What?" She complained. "There's nothing 'going on'!"  
"I'm not stupid. Don't comment!" He added hastily at Serena's raised eyebrow. She bit back her smart-arse reply, deciding it wasn't most appropriate. "Right, you two are normal and everything. We go out for the night and you two kiss. You then disappear off the face of the earth to play midwifes. Since then, you two can't even look at each other. Did…what happened?"  
"Michael! You putting two and two together and getting five!" She told him convincingly enough, but she could quite meet his stern gaze for fear of seeing that knowing look.  
"Are you sure, Serena? Because I don't think I am. I think I'm getting a solid four." A lesser man would have recoiled under her glare. "Fine! Swear on your life nothing happened and I'll apologise."  
"Good!" She snapped.  
"Fine! Go on then!"  
"I will! I…I sw-…I can't." She whispered, averting her nervous gaze to the floor.  
"What?" Michael asked, already knowing the answer. But he had to hear it from her. Her silence confirmed his suspicions. "Right. Tell me." He sighed, perching himself on the edge of his desk. After a very long time, she finally looked up at her friend.  
"You know the beginning. Pub, blah blah blah, drinking, blah blah blah, kiss blah blah blah, delivering the baby, blah blah blah. When the paramedics arrived, mum, dad and baby were rushed here which left us two. I suggested we shared a taxi home, as you do. It stopped at mine first and he got out to help me to my door. It took me ages to find my keys and when I did, the taxi had driven off. We hadn't informed him Hanssen lived at another house. Obviously I couldn't just leave him in the snow and we guessed it was very unlikely he could get another taxi for the evening because of the ice so…" Serena sighed, having gained more confidence with the story as she went along, found herself trailing off as it came to actually admitting…  
"So you invited him in." Michael finished for her, careful not to push her too far. She nodded.  
"Yep. He came in and we were just talking and…"  
"Tell me everything that happened after." He demanded quickly, obliviously falling into the trap. Even in the predicament she was in, Serena couldn't stop a teasing grin cross her face.  
"Everything?" She asked coyly.  
"Eeew! Ok, maybe not everything! Generalize it."  
"Well, I ripped his shir-"  
"Generalize it!"  
"We were in my ro-" Oh how she loved to tease the poor American.  
"Make it very general, like your reports."  
"We slept together."  
"There we go!" Michael sighed in relief, glad he didn't have to hear the ins and outs of how they'd... "Wait! You did what? Oh Rena." He smiled, guessing it was safe for him to return to the use of the pet-name she hated.  
"Come here." Without waiting for a reply, he lifted her from his seat and wrapped his strong arms around her. Not even bothering to protest, she just relaxed and let him pet her comfortingly.  
"And you haven't even talked about it?" She shook her head that was buried somewhere in his shoulder.  
"Seriously! It was over a week ago!"  
"Well done Captain Obvious." She glared at his shoulder. Michael stayed silent, not wanting to say something to upset the obviously hurt woman anymore in his arms.  
"Hey." He whispered softly. "You're gonna have to sort it out at some point you know. You can't hide forever."  
"I can give it a bloody good try!" She retorted immediately. Michael could barely supress a smirk. Whatever was thrown at her, it would take more than a ton of bricks to knock Serena Campbell down.  
"I know you would. But-" They were interrupted when the door opened and the familiar figure of the Swedish Director of Surgery entered the increasingly-growing overcrowded office.  
"I do apologise. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Hanssen said neutrally. Serena doubted he could any less apologetic.  
"Not at all." She replied, not missing a beat.  
"So-?" Hanssen asked, trying and failing not to look extremely bored. "I am here to offer a third opinion, correct? I have the notes here-" He added more to himself as he skim-read the information before him.  
"Diathermy and clip the vessels." Serena said quickly, throwing Michael an annoyed look even after her recent revelation and his comfort. Why did he have to fight her on this?  
"We've tried that!" He asserted, looking at an unresponsive Hanssen for back up. "It's not possible-"  
"It is! Look it's all about speed, you've got to work fast." Serena interrupted. She knew she was right and she wasn't going to back down easily.  
"What do you think I did?" Michael groaned, almost shouting in exasperation.  
"Calm down, Mr Spence!" Hanssen cut across sharply.  
"You're not working fast enough! Look no offense, but I can clip and tie much faster." Serena said quickly, desperate to get her point across. Realising she'd probably gone a step too far, she turned to Michael. "Look, Michael, come on-" She reached out to place a hand on his arm but he immediately wrenched it away.  
"What's your opinion Mr Malick?" Hanssen asked, turning to the figure at the door who had followed him down to offer his advice. Malick sighed heavily. As much as he loved inflating his ego, he hated having to take sides.  
"Look, his bowel is leaking, either way he needs to go back into theatre." He finally said.  
"So-?" Hanssen asked, desperate to end this argument.  
"Well, if what Ms Campbell says is right then perhaps it makes sense to, ah-?" He glanced nervously, well as nervous as Malick would ever get, at Michael.  
"I think that's sorted then." Hanssen concluded.  
"You're only saying that coz you shagged her." Michael whispered under his breath, only loud enough that Serena heard it. Luckily Hanssen seemed preoccupied with the writing he had before him and Serena turned to face Michael. He wished the ground would swallow him up as he saw the annoyed but primarily hurt expression on her face.  
"Serena-" He said quickly. Hanssen looked up sharply at this, but Serena couldn't care less as she stared back at Michael.  
"You bastard!" She mouthed, knowing she wouldn't be able to control her voice should she speak. "You bastard!" She turned to storm out of the room and past a very confused Malick.  
"Mr Spence-?" Hanssen inquired. Michael fleetingly pondered the best way to explain why Serena had called him that but deciding his friendship was more important, he also turned to rush out the door.  
"Mr Spence!" Hanssen said more sharply. The last thing he needed was domestics between two of his consultants. Michael just called two words over his shoulder before running after Serena.  
"I know."

Jac sighed at the scene before her. It was the end of all their shifts and she knew numerous tired and ratty adults in one room for however long practising a play was just asking for Trouble. With a capital T. "Right so we have a Joseph who doesn't want to act, we have no Jesus, we have a Shepherd who has no sheep-" She glanced over a Elliot who was arguing with someone from Paediatrics about where his props were that she'd specifically said she would bring. "This is going to be FUN!"  
"Cheer up Jac." Jonny grinned, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "We can pull this Nativity together. We'll do it." Jac just looked at him imploringly. "We can! Together! You can't give up, now, Jac, this is just the beginning." She smiled at the Scot.  
"I won't give up Jonny." She whispered determinedly.  
"That's my girl! Hey, what's that song? _**I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough." **_He sang quietly in a deliberately melodramatic tone.  
"Shut up Jonny!" She warned, glancing around to make sure no one could hear him. Luckily they were standing in the corner of the big room allocated by Paed's and everyone seemed to be arguing with everyone so no one paid much attention to them.  
"Are you ashamed of me?" He asked, trying to look wounded.  
"You're singing voice leaves a lot to be desired." She grinned. Jonny smiled to himself. She hadn't declared she was ashamed of him. He'd come to realise with Jac Naylor and her heart, you had to take things one step at a time.  
_**"When I look into your eyes, it's like watching the night sky. Or a beautiful sunrise. There's so much they hold." **_He sang again, to deliberately annoy her. He took a step closer and took both of her hands in his. When she didn't refuse, he lifted them slowly to his shoulders and she did the rest, wrapping them around his neck. He placed both his around her waist and pulled her close.

Oblivious to them, everyone had, in time, stopped their conversations as they noticed the two directors. Everyone just stood and stared at the young Nurse and Consultant, presently in a hug only two people in love could do.  
"Love takes many shapes and forms." Mo whispered in Serena's ear, which didn't go unheard by the two registrars - set to play the donkey - they'd just been in a fiery argument with. Serena smiled her response.  
"Definitely." She glanced over at Hanssen who was leaning against the wall, watching Jac and Jonny. Michael was right, they needed to talk. Luckily she and Michael were back on speaking terms after he came after her and apologised relentlessly. A bunch of flowers, two electives and a thousand sorries later, she accepted Michael's apology.

"We can do this Jac. Ready to direct the world's greatest Nativity?" Jonny asked. With Jac's confirmation nod they broke the embrace only to find the faces of everyone in the room staring back. Jac blushed while the women 'awww'ed and the men wolf-whistled.  
"Shut up!" She grinned. "Right, we have a few weeks to pull ourselves together. We don't always have the resources and we might not always get on. We'll have stage fright and we'll have up's and down's. But we are going to perform the best bloody play since Les Miserables. Agreed?" The staff cheered their support and Jac sighed with relief.  
"Excellent, Ms Naylor." Hanssen smirked when it had died down. "You certainly talk the talk. But can you walk the walk?"  
Jac grinned. "I can suture a beating heart, Mr Hanssen. I'm walking this walk if it's the last thing I do."

**Please Review!xx **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! This is a short update which explains a bit more what truly happened that night when they delivered the baby. Thanks so much for your positive reviews on my other chapters, they are so encouraging and please keep them coming! I hope you're still enjoying this! xxxx **

_"Excellent, Ms Naylor." Hanssen smirked when it had died down. "You certainly talk the talk. But can you walk the walk?"__  
__Jac grinned. "I can suture a beating heart, Mr Hanssen. I'm walking this walk if it's the last thing I do."  
_"Now." Jonny called, climbing onto the stage. "Try these on for size." He delved into one of the many cardboard boxes he and Jac had bought along with them and pulled out stacks of paper. "Scripts!" He grinned, chucking them at the edge of the stage. "Come and grab one!" Everyone surged forward at the same time, not wanting to be left with the tatty one at the end. Serena and Mo, who were furthest away from stage, both went to join in this scramble when a firm pressure on Serena's arm stopped her moving. Glancing up at the person holding a vice-like grip on her, she inwardly groaned when Hanssen looked back at her.  
"Can I have a word, Ms Campbell?" Mo glanced back questioningly when she realised Serena wasn't by her side. When Serena nodded at her to say she should carry on, Mo just shrugged and turned back to the stage.  
"Does it have to be now?" She asked when Mo disappeared from sight.  
"Yes." With a sigh, she followed Hanssen to the back of the room.  
"Problem?"  
"What did Mr Spence mean when he said 'I know'?" Serena almost laughed out loud. He was never one for beating around the bush was he?!  
"I…ah…he thinks we slept together." She finally admitted, biting her lip slightly.  
"I see." Hanssen replied with a nod, having not expected a straight answer at all. He suddenly froze when he realised what she said. "Wait. What? Why?"  
"I kind of told him that on the night we delivered the baby we-"  
"Why?" Hanssen cut across her.  
"Because he was being nosy and asking me if someone was going on so-"  
"So that gave you an excuse to tell him that?" Serena sighed, she wished he would stop interrupting her.  
"He's the one that got the wrong end of the stick!" She protested.  
"I believe he had _a lot _of encouragement grasping that end of the stick." Hanssen replied coldly. "Rumours like this are going to be really damaging, Serena. You said you told him yourself, why didn't you just set him straight?"  
"Because there's no fun in that, is there?! I just wanted to see his reaction!" Now, Serena wanting to tease Michael Hanssen _could _believe! "And he's right you know. You have been funny since that night." Hanssen sighed his annoyance. He'd certainly hadn't expected her to turn the tables on him.  
"I haven't." He finally replied in an unconvincing tone. Serena just stared at him suspiciously.  
"I thought we agreed that it wasn't anything?"  
"We did." He said quickly, with a layer of sharpness she wasn't expecting.

Mo threw another glance over her shoulder when she had grabbed a presentable copy of the script. "Jonny Mac!" She called. Jonny immediately responded to this and looked up as he heard his best friend's voice.  
"Mo?"  
"Over here." Mo beckoned him to the wing of the stage and Jonny obliged, followed by an interested Jac. "What's going on?" The Nurse and Consultant followed Mo's gaze to the back of the room where Hanssen and Serena were clearly in deep conversation.  
"Jesus Christ! Look at the way he's looking at her! I kinda want 'Hungry eyes' to start playing!" Jac exclaimed, a look of pure confusion etched on her face.  
"I know right! What's happening between them?" Mo asked, her look mirroring Jac's.  
"Something is!" Jac whistled. "Not helped by you Maconie!" A look of panic shot across the Scot's face.  
"You think this stems from that night?" He swallowed, looking like he wanted someone to take a knife to his chest.  
"Who knows? If it does, you're dead!" Jac laughed. "One thing's certain - I think we have a very strong case of daddy fancies mummy!"  
"No, we have a case of daddy's slept with mummy." All three of them jumped at this new voice but relaxed immediately when they realised it was Michael's American drawl.  
"What are you on about Spence?" Jac snapped. She never had time for babyish rumours.  
"The Iron Lady told me herself." All three of their eyes widened in shock. If this was true, it would be the juiciest bit of gossip since the speculations over why Hanssen ran to Sweden – known by no one bar Jac. "That night we went to the pub. Apparently…" Michael's look finished that sentence of for him.  
"Oh Maconie, you are a prat!" Jac grinned triumphantly. Jonny indiscreetly wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers.  
"I might just commit suicide now." He whispered, glancing to the edge of the stage and wondering whether jumping from that would do the job.

Serena sighed and pulled him back a few more paces so they were even further away from everyone else. They last thing they needed was someone to hear a part of this conversation and send the rumour mills at Holby into overdrive. "Then why have you been acting like this?"  
"Look, it didn't mean anything did it?" Serena shook her head, guessing it was probably the best answer to give.  
"No, it was just one kiss." She said uncertainly.  
"Exactly. We'd just delivered a baby in the pitch-black, we'd both been drinking. We just-"  
"Got lost in the moment." Hanssen nodded. They both inwardly tried to deny the thought about how much effort they were putting into convincing themselves as much as each other.  
"Right. Yes. Excellent."  
"As we discussed a week ago, we go back to colleagues. Back to the way things were."  
"No!" Serena exclaimed suddenly. "We had a horrible relationship before! Let's turn a new page, friends?" Hanssen stared at the hand she offered for a while before excepting it with a tiny smile.  
"Friends. Please do put Mr Spence straight as soon as you can. Before all sorts of rumours circulate. Now, we need scripts." He added more to himself, striding off in the direction of the stage where the original crowd had dispersed slightly.

"What?!" Jac was staring at Michael in disbelief when he finished his tale of the story. "They haven't even talked about it?!" Michael shook his head.  
"Malick says you can actually feel the tension when they're on Keller together!" He said with a grimace. "This might be the first time I'm actually glad I got banished to AAU!"  
"I'd rather be in WW3 than in that crappy heap!" Jac sneered.  
"Hey!" Michael exclaimed his protest.  
"Whatever. I can't quite believe it. Serena and..._Hanssen?! _This needs sorting now. They _have _to talk!" Everyone turned to Jonny who stared back indignantly.  
"What do you want me to do?" He asked nervously to their looks.  
"Anything. You made this mess, you clean it up!" Jonny gulped and nibbled awkwardly at his lip. Some things really are easier said than done.

"Right! Shut up…SHUT UP!" Jac called from the edge of the stage. At this command, the general murmur from the crowd slowly quietened. "You all have a script? Good." Jac carried on without a response. "Get into pairs and run through it so you can familiarize yourself with the overall gist of the play. Jump to it!" Noise re-erupted around the room as people met Jac's demand, slowly deciding who was going to work with who. Hanssen watched with interest as people paired up with other people from their same field of work. Oncologists paired with oncologists, neurologists paired with neurologists, paediatricians paired with paediatricians. He fleetingly worried who he was going to pair with. He certainly wasn't the most sociable of people and he knew most of his staff were frightened to death of him. Thankfully, the Gods seemed to be smiling down on him that day as Professor Hope seemed to notice his silent distress and made his way over. Hanssen smiled to himself as he remembered how vigilant of other people's feelings Elliot was.  
"Mr Hanssen, will you work with me?" Elliot asked, almost shyly.  
"Certainly, Professor Hope." Hanssen glanced up at the stage again. He swore he'd seen Jac, Jonny, Mo and Michael in intense conversation and with Michael's mis-leading information, Hanssen dread to think what they were talking about. Hanssen smirked as a sudden idea came to him when he saw Michael staring at a girl he recognised to be from paediatrics with a transparent look that read 'I want you'. "Excuse me a minute." He mumbled to Elliot before striding closer to the stage. "Mr Spence!" He called, causing Michael to wrench his gaze away from the said woman. She seemed to be returning the favour as she stared unashamedly at Michael's arse.  
"Mr Hanssen." He sighed, the annoyance in his voice poorly disguised.  
"Would you care to pair up with Ms Campbell?" Serena looked up sharply at the mention of her name and raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. Malick – who she was all set to pair up with – mirrored her confused expression.  
"Sure." Michael jumped from the stage and glanced over at Serena. "If you want?" Serena nodded before walking over to Hanssen.  
"What are you playing at?" She hissed whilst pretending to study the script.  
"You can explain everything to him." Hanssen replied, his face expressionless.  
"Oh, clever Einstein! I can explain anytime!"  
"I have a bad feeling rumours have already begun to spread throughout 'our children' already. They needed sorting now." He voiced the concerns niggling at him.  
"Fine!" She huffed, strolling over to Michael. Hanssen headed back over to a mildly confused but not overly bothered Elliot.  
"Shall we?" He asked.

"What?!" Michael exclaimed incredulously when Serena explained what she'd done. "You little bitch! I felt well bad for making that comment!" Serena just rolled her eyes.  
"And so you should have done! For all you knew we had slept together!" She'd been careful to miss out the fact that she'd kissed Hanssen that night.  
"Wait, and you called me a bastard!"  
"I know. That was pretty unfortunate." She replied, looking slightly apologetic.  
"Oh well. At least you didn't actually shag the Swede!" Michael grinned. A sudden look of panic crossed his face as he glanced towards the stage where Jac and Jonny were discussing something or other. "Wait a minute…"  
"What?" Michael tried to cover his expression up but he had a really rather bad poker face.  
"Nothing." He said ominously.  
"Good, shall we get on with this then?" Michael nodded and shot Jonny once last look before turning to the script in his hand. He hoped he had a chance to explain his mistake to Jonny before he did something stupid to fix the 'problem' that wasn't actually there…


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I've written the ending to this story (I know – how organised am I?! ;) Joking, I'm the least organised person known to man!x ) so now I'm just working out how to get there! As always, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, they mean so much to me! I hope you enjoy this update – as ever, reviews are received with the upmost gratitude! Happy Thursday!xxx **

"No Mr Hanssen!" Jac shouted. "Step forward!" Hanssen glared before staring at the script. This was their first run through of the script as a collective group, and to say it had been awful was the understatement of the century.  
"It does not say that here Ms Naylor." He replied, the placid demeanour he prided himself on rapidly beginning to disappear before his very eyes.  
"Well write it in then!"  
"I don't currently have a pen on me."  
"I don't care if you have to write it with your blood, just do it!" Hansen narrowed his eyes slightly. Being told what to do and having to do it on command was alien to him, and he hated not having his level of authority. Michael offered the emergency pen he always kept on him and Hanssen grudgingly thanked him. "Good!" Jac announced when Hanssen began to write the stage direction on his script. "Now keep going!"  
"Oh Mary, I wish we didn't have to go to Bethlehem at this time of the year, especially now that you are expecting a baby. I'm so worried about you. I hope you don't catch cold." Hanssen read with barely any emotion. He sounded like he couldn't care whether she caught bloody pneumonia and died right there. Serena smirked at this. She'd noticed he had read the whole script in a monotone and almost felt sorry for Jac and Jonny. Almost. It was there choice to give him that part, after all!  
"Don't worry Joseph. Wait till you see, everything will work out fine. God will look after us." A young woman from Paed's replied. Serena bit her lip at the look on Jac's face. She was no specialist, but she knew a crap actor when she saw one and this woman seemed to have the acting skills of a headless chicken.  
"Ok, and take five!" Jac announced, the annoyance and stress clearly showing on her sharp features. Everyone immediately moved around the room to meet with their friends and those who were in costume parts tore the uncomfortable clothing off if they didn't reveal anything too indecent. Jac shot 'Mary' another look of distaste before glancing over at Serena. She was leaning against the wall, talking animatedly to Michael.  
"Eew! Oh Christ! Get rid of it now!" Jac narrowed her eyes suspiciously when she heard Serena's command as she moved closer. What the hell were they talking about?  
"That's not the worse bit!" Michael made an attempt to push a button on his phone but Serena's hand enclosed around his wrist, stopping him.  
"I said no! I'm not looking at another picture of Dr Honey!" She said firmly, her voice taking on the authoritive tone she usually reserved for F1's. The first genuine smile since the beginning of the rehearsal crossed Jac's face as she realised what they were talking about.  
"Well, well, look at you naughty people." They both jumped as they heard Jac's sharp tone and turned to face her, guilty looks playing on both of their faces.  
"He made me Jac!" Serena defended immediately. Although she believed her, Jac just raised a disbelieving eyebrow.  
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure we've all been turned on by the other side at least once in our lives." She smiled re-assuredly, almost laughing as a blush spread across Serena's cheeks.  
"Trying to tell us something, Naylor?" Asked an innocent looking Michael. She glared when she realised her tease had back-fired.  
"Whatever. Just because the closest you've got to sex recently is a porn mag and your fair hand you don't need to drag Serena down with your dirty pictures. Gemma's is _your _F1 for Christ's sake, why do you have those kind of things on your phone?"  
"I don't. I'm on the website." He replied with a smirk.  
"Sick, man! You sure Hanssen was looking at these?"  
"That's what I was thinking!" Serena shivered, a look of utter disgust plastered over her face.  
"Well, you know what they say about the quiet ones…" Michael winked, shoving his phone back in his pocket.  
"Nah! I've gone past imagining Hanssen with a sex life now! Anyway, I need a word, Serena." Jac announced, glancing pointedly at Michael.  
"Shoot." She noticed Jac's glance, but didn't have to energy to argue with Michael to go. This whole Nativity lark was more draining than she thought. Good knows how poor Jac and Jonny were feeling.  
"What is that?" Jac asked, stony-faced as she glared yet again at 'Mary'. She seemed intent on dragging Hanssen into small talk, but he was having none of it.  
"I do believe that's the young Paed's doctor you gave the role Mary to." Serena smiled sweetly, receiving a vexed look from an agitated Jac.  
"I bloody well know that! All I want to know is what I was on when I gave it to her!"  
"Good question. She _is _really rather crap, you know." Michael pointed out the absolutely blindingly obvious.  
"No shit, Sherlock! You know I've seen more skill ooze from a plank of wood!" Jac hissed. "Serena. Please." Serena shook her head vehemently.  
"No way!" Michael watched, confused.  
"Please! I've seen you! You can really pull this together for me."  
"I'm not playing Mary! I accept the role of narrator with much enthusiasm." Jac sighed her irritation. "Anyway, how would kick her out of the role just like that?"  
"Knowing Jac, she probably say 'You're a crap actor, get out.'" Michael received two dirty looks for his unhelpful interruption.  
"Do this for me, Serena. It's not often I beg or plead, but I am now. Jac Naylor is now officially begging you to accept the role of Mary." Admitted a very desperate-looking Jac. Serena was torn in two. She was in half a mind to help the young consultant but the other side of her – the side she usually listened to – was telling her not to make a prat of herself, as she surely would should she accept.  
"I don't think so Jac." She finally sighed.  
"Right, well, I'll take that as a yes, brilliant!" Jac grinned, turning to tell the news to Jonny.  
"What? I said no, Jac!" She wondered why she was even trying, Jac had her mind made up!  
"Yeah, thanks, Serena, I owe you one!"  
"I'm being serious, NO!"  
"Ok, and drop it." Michael grinned. "You're not gonna win, Rena! So, we have mommy and daddy playing Mary and Joseph. Aww, does life get sweeter?" The look of patronising cheeriness on his face made her want to punch him. With a sledgehammer.  
"Piss off Spence." She groaned, as the full extent of this decision she'd just been forced into dawned on her.

"Serious?" Jonny asked, looking very impressed. "Ms Campbell's accepted to play Mary?" Jac gave a guilty grin.  
"She's going to play it." Was her carefully phrased response. He need know she was given no choice in the matter.  
"Excellent! Well, how do we kick her out?" He glanced side-ways at the original 'Mary'. Being mean and uncompassionate was never his strong point.  
"Leave it to me." Luckily, he was standing next to the coldest and most heartless bitch in the hospital.  
"Break it gently, yeah, Jac?" Jonny asked nervously, not liking the look on Jac's face.  
"No…No I won't!" She grinned. He shook his head in regret. Perhaps he _should _have done it himself…  
"Jaaccc!" A familiar moan interrupted their conversation.  
"What, Michael, what?" Jac snapped, turning from Jonny to face the American.  
"I can't find my costume!" He replied cheerfully.  
"Well why the hell did you take it off?!" Jesus Christ, she was sure she would have more luck asking a bunch of untrained monkeys to participate.  
"Coz it was uncomfortable and so I didn't want to wear it!"  
"Right, so if my patient was in theatre and their heart stopped beating, I'd just leave them and tell them to resuscitate themselves because I _didn't want to do it?_"  
"Completely different situation." He retorted, folding his arms in a childish manner.  
"Who the hell are you playing?" Jac demanded.  
"The Innkeeper, how could you forget that?!"  
"Oh, yeah, that's right. That was the role left that we didn't feel mean enough to give anyone else." Jac quipped, rolling her eyes.  
"HEY! The Innkeeper is more important than Joseph!" Michael protested to Jac's digs.  
"Oh, yeah, and Nurses are more important than consultants, right?" Involuntary looks of protest appeared on practically every Nurse's face. The hierarchy of importance between doctors and nurses had always been a touchy subject.  
"It's true! Joseph didn't even shag Mary, so practically he's nothing. No offence Mr Hanssen." He added as an afterthought, shooting his formidable boss an apologetic glance. "The Innkeeper however… Well, if he'd given them a room it might've changed the whole story!"  
"Oh, well in that case let's join hands and praise the Lord for the Innkeeper." Jac muttered. She could barely hear herself over the general hum from the staff in the room, and so she doubted severely Michael could.  
"What?" He shouted, as if on cue.  
"Go and find another costume from my office!" Jac mouthed, pointing to the door. Michael seemed to understand, as he nodded and headed to the door. Watching this exchange, gave Jonny a brain wave. One he was very proud of. One which could help him out of his sticky situation.  
"You know they keep losing their costumes, yeah?" He said to a very stressed looking Jac.  
"Of course I do, I'm the one that has to deal with it!"  
"Exactly. Just leave the costumes for today. Get them to change into their scrubs." Jac looked mildly impressed by this suggestion. "It'll save time and…"  
"Right, yeah. Go and tell them while I sort this out." She glared at the pile of cardboards containing various nativity essentials which seemed to multiply on its own accord. Jonny sighed his relief. That was easier than he'd ever expected.

"Shut it you lot!" Jonny bellowed, conventionally cupping his hands around his mouth. Everyone slowly obeyed, turning around to face the stage and the Scottish Nurse on it. "Right! This is how it's gonna work. Those of you in costumes, we're gonna leave them for the rest of this practice so we don't lose any more. So go and change into a spare pair of scrubs, quick as, please. Oh, and someone go and find Mr Spence and tell him as well." Even those not in costume and in their own clothes decided it would be more appropriate to act in a pair of scrubs and so practically everyone filed out of the room to various wards to change outfits. Soon only a handful of the staff were left standing awkwardly in the room. Jac, who was still furiously sifting through the said boxes, Jonny because he wasn't acting, Serena and a young man from Neurology because they were already in scrubs, and a suited and booted Hanssen, because he never did something simply because everyone else was.  
"Jac." Jonny had carefully made his way over to the fiery consultant. "Let me take over. Go and get some coffees or something." He said gently, placing a hand on her back.  
"You go and get coffees. I'm not your skivvy." Was her immediate retort. Jonny rolled his eyes and physically pulled her from her crouching position to her reluctant feet.  
"Not the time to argue. I'm actually offering to do this. Go." He said firmly, hoping his tone was giving here no leeway to argue. "Come on, if caffeine doesn't make it better, it's a serious problem. You-" He called to the young man who was glancing apprehensively at Hanssen. If you didn't know Hanssen, his magnificent looming height was enough to frighten someone senseless. Well, getting to know him didn't exactly help deter that first impression either!  
"Yeah?" He asked.  
"Would you please help Ms Naylor go and get some hot drinks from the café please?" Without waiting for an answer, he began to practically drag a protesting Jac to the door, followed by the obliging Neurologist. "I'll have a hot chocolate!" He called to their retreating backs. Serena watched, an amused look in her eye, as Jonny pretending for a while to be pre-occupied with collecting and ordering the costumes. The poor Nurse, who was usually very nervous with the two consultants he was alone with, was even more so as he remembered fleetingly Michael's warnings.  
"I have to remember this?" An almost-worried voice drew her attention from Jonny. Hanssen was flicking through his script, a panicked expression etched on his usually impeccably masked face.  
"Oh yes!" She replied cheerfully. A sadistic feeling of amusement spread through her at Hanssen's expense.  
"I might have to resort to using my superiority and excuse myself from this role." He said, a flick of his wrist forcing the stack of paper in his hand shut.  
"Absolutely not! For a man who knows practically all medical terminology ever, memory is not the problem is it?" He hated that all-to-knowing look in her eyes.  
"Nurse Maconie." Hanssen said, ignoring her comment. The only sign of Jonny's apprehension at being addressed was the way the costume momentarily slipped between his fingers. "I've been thinking-"  
"Oh, don't do that!" Serna interrupted dryly. "It might be dangerous!" Once again, Hanssen disregarded her comment.  
"I'd really love to hear it Mr Hanssen. But you'll have to give me a minute. I've just realised, I didn't give Jac any money for the coffee." Before either of them had the chance to reply, he'd practically bolted for freedom, slamming the door shut behind him.  
"Looks like you're stuck with the main part, Joseph." Serena said innocently, trying her best to keep a straight face.  
"Yes. Bit rude." He said, referring to Jonny's abrupt exit. "How long do you think everyone will be?" Serena regarded him carefully for a few moments.  
"You didn't actually believe that 'coffee, scrubs and costume' crap did you?" Hanssen looked momentarily baffled.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Oh come off it! It was a ploy to get us alone. Not bad on Maconie's part, actually." She added as an afterthought.  
"Why?" Hanssen questioned, Serena's idea having not even crossed his mind.  
"God knows. Come on." She grinned, heading swiftly to the door. "If they want us alone, they'll have us alone. We'll bunk, let's go."  
"Ms Campbell!" Hanssen exclaimed, attempting to look shocked. "I hope you're not implying we skip class."  
"Imply? Perish the thought, I'm saying." She went to open the door, and was thoroughly thrown when it remained unmoved. She tried again, only to get the same result.  
"Shit!" She mumbled. "That prat has the key!"  
"Excuse me?" He inquired, although he'd fully heard. She slowly turned on the spot to face him.  
"Maconie. He took the key and has locked it on the other side, the git!"  
"Which means-"  
"Which means we're locked in. I'm going to kill him!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Hope you're all good! Thank you soo much for your amazing reviews, keep 'em coming please they're so encouraging and I'm really grateful! Hope you enjoy and Happy Holby Night! :D xx **

Jonny's eyelid fluttered shut for a nanosecond as he slammed the door shut behind him. With a deep breath he turned the key quietly in the lock before pulling it out and depositing in his pocket. He couldn't believe what he was doing and an instant pang of regret spread through him. Tempted as he was to undo what he'd just done, he had to use all his courage to walk away towards the café, reminding himself he was doing this for the Greater Good.

"Well, what do we do now?" Serena demanded, running a hand through her short hair. A sign of distress, Hanssen notes.  
"Nothing." He replied simply.  
"Nothing? Are you being serious? I'm not staying here all night!"  
"Well, I don't want to either but right now neither of us have the choice, do we?" Serena sighed in annoyance but remained silent when she realised he was right. She began pacing the room while Hanssen sat calm on the edge of the stage, watching her interestedly.  
"Ms Campbell." He finally announced. "Please, we're going to get out when Nurse Maconie arrives." Serena glared and began pacing faster. "Calm down!"  
"Don't tell me what to do." She immediately retorted childishly.  
"Very mature." He replied, wondering how long it would be before he would be smothering her with his jacket.  
"Trust me, when I woke up this morning I had no plans to be awesome, but shit happens." Serena stormed back over to the door and once again attempted to pull it open. As she guessed, it remained unmoving, but it didn't stop the frustration building up in her. She tried again and again, each pull using more and more of her strength. Hanssen noted how she seemed to use the door as a scapegoat to the situation they were in and deciding he didn't want one of his consultants being charged with vandalism to the Hospital's doors, he made his way over.  
"Serena-" He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and glared, clearly not realising he had moved.  
"How many times! Clear your throat or announce your presence or something just don't loom!" He couldn't help but smirk. She tried the door again, of course, to no avail.  
"Leave it." He said sharply. She just threw him half a glance over her shoulder.  
"Remember that person that gave up? Yeah, neither do I." Hanssen fought heavily to not roll his eyes in exasperation. If she comes out with another smart-arse comment, I _will _kill her, he promised himself.  
"Let's be sensible adults and not petulant children." He said calmly, noting the pure frustration etched on her face. "I think you just need to take a step back and relax."  
"I'm not unrelaxed actually! And where did being sensible get you?" She hissed, leaving 'Operation let's try and hack the door down' and moving onto 'Operation if I storm as far away from Hanssen as possible, it might help the situation we're in'. Excellent, he thought, at least she's not trying to single-handedly kick the bloody door down. "Prat." She added under her breath but being it was only the two of them, it didn't go unheard.  
"Ms Campbell, if you have something to say, say it to my face."  
"Prat." She said louder this time.  
"Thank you." He replied sarcastically.  
"Anytime. Don't thank me for insulting you, it was a pleasure." She gave a short, sarcastic smile and he sighed. "I'm blaming you for this!"  
"Why? It's not my fault we are locked in here." He retorted quickly.  
"I didn't say it was you're fault, I said I'm blaming you!" She glared. Great, so if she couldn't use the door, _he _was her scapegoat.  
"Come on, you don't need to stress out over this, we're going to be out soon." The look on her face told him he should of kept his little pep-talks to himself.  
"I'm not stressed! I'm not! You chill out! I'm so cool and calm I should live in the Artic." He tried to quash the thought of Serena prowling around on ice in polar-bear form but the image was too amusing and seemed imprinted before his eyes. "What are you smirking at?" She demanded.  
"Nothing." He replied immediately but he'd obviously overdone his usual neutral demeanour and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Deciding it wasn't worth pursuing, she just backed up a few paces until her back was against the wall and slid down it so she was sitting as comfortably as she could get on the floor.  
"Do you think it would be a good idea to call Ms Naylor?" Hanssen asked, resuming his original position on the edge of the stage.  
"Oh, so there is a brain amongst the cobwebs after all." She sneered. "A pea-sized one, but it's there."  
"It's bigger than yours, anyhow." Serena kept her gaze locked on her hands for a few moments before looking up in feign surprise.  
"Huh? Sorry, I didn't hear you. I was too busy being the mature adult." Hanssen quirked an unimpressed eyebrow and looked at her expectantly, a look she returned.  
"Should _I _call Ms Naylor?" He asked, finally cottoning on.  
"I don't care if you call the bloody Pizza Delivery guy, just get that door open!" He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts. Names he'd almost forgotten about flashed up and he wondered how these people had managed to escape his memory so easily. Connie Beauchamp, Frieda Petrenko, Greg Douglas. He wondered why he still had these contacts on his phone. It's not as if they were the best of friends, none of them had left with promises to keep in touch, quite the contrary actually. He found Jac's number was highlighted but he just scrolled past it. Joseph Byrne… had left sending him an email to stick Connie's consultancy post where the sun don't shine. Luc Hemmingway. Well, he'd never exactly had a cross word with Luc but once again, they were not best of friends. George Binns. Hanssen pulled a face and before he had a chance to think, he'd pressed the delete button. He carried on scrolling through and felt his heart sink as he headed into the 'T' section. His eyes widened and he cursed himself for not deleting her number earlier. He should've deleted it on the night it happened, then he wouldn't have had to dealt with it at a later date just as he was trying to pretend he wasn't affected by it.  
"What are you doing?" He jumped. Having been so immersed in his contacts and memories, he hadn't noticed Serena sneaking closer and now standing over him. Before he had a chance to react she reached out and swiftly snatched his mobile from his hands. She glanced up at him softly as two words greeted her.

_Tara Lo_

"Henrik." She sighed. Without thinking, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. He seemed taken aback by this and tensed up.  
"You've changed your tune." He muttered, his arms, very much of their own accord, responding to the hug. "You wanted to kill me no less than thirty seconds ago."  
"I admit I'm am a bitch sometimes but you're grieving." She mumbled to his shoulder.  
"I'm not. Not like Doctor Valentine or her parents." He replied with a heavy exhale of breath.  
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether you're her mum, dad, husband, uncle, aunt, colleague. You're still grieving. And it's more than understandable and you can't help it."  
"The hospital lost a very promising F1." He said, the convincing tone he was hoping for coming out in an emotional mumble.  
"And who are you trying to fob off with that crappy excuse? I'm not buying it for a second nor is any other person. You were attached to her." She said, her words muffled by his shoulder. "Don't make the mistake of telling Digby that, though! He now thinks you two were-" Hanssen rolled his eyes.  
"Do you like to make a habit of getting me into these predicaments?" He interrupted sharply. "Thanks to you, my staff believe I'm sleeping with every single female colleague." Serena couldn't help but smirk, for some reason feeling slightly proud of herself for causing this for him.  
"Not every female. Just Tara and myself at the moment." She replied and he wondered why she hadn't detangled herself from him.  
"Oh how reassuring." He drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
"Yeah, I emphasize the 'at the moment' though. I'm working on the you-and-Jac rumour as we speak." She could almost picture the look of disgust he was sure to be sporting. Sure enough, he let out a distasteful sound which would match it perfectly. "No? Don't fancy a night with the Ice Queen? Or women at all? I can always work on you and Malick if you're more that way inclined." Having not expected that comment in a thousand years, he let out an involuntary snort which she returned with a self-satisfied laugh. "Seriously though. Tell me about yourself. Gay, straight, married, kids?"  
"If I was gay, Ms Campbell, I wouldn't have-" He trailed off, suddenly becoming very awkward indeed.  
"You wouldn't have kissed me." She finished for him, finally letting him go and hopping up onto the stage next to him.  
"No. Well, to be precise, _you _kissed me. I was all set to shake your hand." He pointed out. Although the memory of that night was fuzzy – thanks to the alcohol – the memory of that moment was a sharp and fresh as ever. "Why… why… Did you, you know-" He started awkwardly.  
"Why did I? Pretty self-explanatory don't you think?" She shrugged dismissively.  
"Right." Serena handed his mobile back with a small smile and watched as he flicked back up to Jac's number.  
"Wish me luck." Hanssen grimaced before pressing the call button.  
"Nah, I'm keeping it for myself, thanks." He just rolled his eyes before holding the phone to his ear. Serena sat and watched as he exchanged niceties with Jac before explaining why he'd called. She heard Jac's sharp tone on the other end of the line but couldn't decipher what she was saying. Deciding listening to one-side of the conversation wasn't interesting, she climbed onto the stage behind Hanssen so he couldn't see her. After receiving a promise from Jac that she'll sort it out, he hung up and turned around to see Serena rummaging through the numerous boxes Jac and Jonny had bought.  
"Hey look!" She called when she saw he'd finished the call. "I'm Santa Claus." She grinned, pointing to the Santa hat she'd just put on.  
"Very original." He smiled.  
"Here." She pulled a second one out of one of the boxes and he shook his head.  
"No!"  
"Yes!" She stood and began advancing towards him, Santa hat in hand. He also stood and with every step she took, he took one backwards. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she suddenly rushed forward and jammed it on his head. With a groan of protest, he glared before ripping it off again.  
"Put it on!" She begged.  
"No!"  
"Yes!"  
"No!"  
"Yes!"  
"Fine!" With a final glare, he straightened it out before gingerly pulling it on his head.  
"You almost look too cute." She grinned triumphantly before hurrying back to the pile of boxes. He watched her for a what must have been a few minutes as she studied and discarded the various items she looked at.  
"Oh cool!" She finally exclaimed, and she held up a CD player. "Let's find the CD's." Without waiting for an answer, she scanned the contains of the remaining boxes. When she reached the second-to-last one, her face lit up. "There's a whole box of them, let's pick one." She glanced up and caught the look on Hanssen's face. "What? Hard times calls for fun!" He rolled his eyes but decided to leave her to it. The last thing he was going to do was cause an argument. "No way!" He looked up again at this exclamation and groaned as he saw what CD she was holding up.  
"Don't you dare." He challenged. His sharp tone and expression didn't deter her though, as she opened up the case and pulled the ABBA CD out.  
"Oh I dare alright." She grinned, inserting it into the CD player and picking the track she wanted. It took all his effort to bit back his remark of 'you're gonna pay bitch' and instead said, "That's very childish, you know."  
She snorted. "What's the point in being grown up if you can't be childish at times? You know what they say, screw 'em if they can't take a joke!" She grinned, standing up.  
"Oh no." He grumbled as the music to 'Dancing Queen' blasted around the room. Her grin just widened as she hurried over and grabbed his hands.  
"Come on!" She dragged his protesting body towards the centre of the stage. He just stood, arms folded, and watched her jump around the stage like a maniac. _"You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life. _Come on! _See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Dancing Queen. _Dance!"  
"No! I'm keeping a shred of dignity thank you." He retorted.  
"Henrik, you're wearing a Santa Hat. Any dignity you think you have went out the window ages ago! _Anybody could be that guy, night is young and the music's hiiiiiiigh!" _He couldn't help but smile as she carried on leaping around the stage. Realising she wasn't going to win, she stopped and sighed, looking at him with a scolding look. "I bet you can dance!"  
"No, no I can't." She just shot him a disbelieving look but didn't pursue it.  
"Spoilsport." She complained. "So what did Jac say? How are we getting out?"  
"I explained about our suspicions regarding Nurse Maconie and she said she's sorting it out."  
"We need to get out soon!" She said, becoming serious again.  
"And what do you suggest we do?" He sighed. He wasn't sure exactly what more she wanted from him.  
"I don't know."  
"Well if you have no ideas what do you expect from me?" She tried to return his glare for a few moments but then burst out laughing.  
"I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously dressed as Santa." He gave an involuntary smile.  
"That's coming from the woman wearing the same thing." He retorted.  
"True, but you _are _Henrik Hanssen." She teased lightly. With a sigh, she paused the music and jumped from the stage. "A tenner says you can dance like Patrick Swayze." He snorted at this and with her back turned, used the opportunity to his full-advantage and tore the bloody hat off his head. Being the polite gentleman he was, he replaced it in one of cardboard boxes and when he next looked up, Serena was standing at the window and looking out. "It's snowing." She called, barely looking over her shoulder. "Come and see!"  
"Ms Campbell, I'm from Sweden remember." He replied, but obliged nevertheless.  
"So? You can still get excited about snow!" She grinned. He smiled at the childish-like excitement on her face. Serena Campbell was the last person he imagined to enthusiastic over frozen water. "I've got an idea!" Realising he was no longer in possession of his own, she also took her Santa Hat off.  
"I was afraid you might." He replied dryly, not liking the mischievous glint in her eye. In the time he'd known Serena, it could only mean one thing. Trouble.  
"The window!" He looked at her in disbelief.  
"Excuse me?"  
"The window." She repeated herself. "We can climb out the window." She rolled her eyes at the expression on his face. "I _was _joking, Henrik, if you know what that means."  
"Of course I do." He retorted. "A joke is something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement."  
"Have you swallowed a dictionary?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"That's biologically impossible." He said with a smirk.  
"Are you always this infuriating or are you making a special effort today?"  
"Well, if you don't want sarcastic answers, don't ask stupid questions." He said logically, but then realised he probably should have remained silent.  
"You're so annoying!"  
"You're irritating as well."  
"You think you're so smart-arse don't you?"  
"No. I know I am."  
"Oh, right, yeah, sorry. I forgot I was trapped in a room with Sweden's idea of Michael Mcintyre."  
"Glad you remembered." He smirked while she glared.  
"You annoy me so much! Sometimes you make me so mad I want to through you into on going traffic." He, of course, quirked an amused eyebrow at this but she ignored this. She kept her eyes fixed on the window as she said the next part. "But as far as we know, you're very much alive because then I realised I'd probably die trying to save you." He glanced at her, but she seemed intent on not meeting his gaze.  
"Me too." He finally sighed, realising she wasn't going to look at him.  
"Liar." She smirked. "You hate me!"  
"I honestly don't. I'm not sure why you would, but if that's the impression you get, it's not true. I…" He trailed off, unsure of how to finish. He can tell she's waiting for an elaboration by the way she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye, but he finds he can't give one. "I don't hate you." He finished lamely.  
"Do you ever have really bad days? Like if someone said 'you look nice!' you're bound to snap back 'die, bitch! What are you, a stalker?'?" She was clearly trying to change the subject for his benefit as much as hers. Hanssen looked amused at this example before realising it did actually put some days into words.  
"Yes, I suppose. Everyone does I guess." Serena nodded at this intellectual answer.  
"Well, that reminds me of today. I could find a cure to cancer and there's bound to something that goes wrong."  
"Mm… I think today is just one of those days." He sighed.  
"Definitely. I can't even go to a bloody Nativity rehearsal without drama!" He was about to reply when a familiar message alert suddenly sounded. Recognising it as her own, Serena pulled her phone out her pocket with a heavy sigh. "Great! Someone gets to return to an empty house tonight!" She gave a smile an inch short of being believable, barely scanning over the message before shoving her phone back in her pocket.  
"Was that your daughter?" He asked tentively, worried that one word wrong, and he'd be headless in five seconds flat.  
"Oh yes." She sighed. "Seems her favourite role of 'Daddy's little Princess' has kicked in now it's nearing Christmas." She elaborated as she caught sight of Hanssen's confused expression. "She's everything he can hope for when it's a special occasion and vice versa. He's gives her a small fortune at Christmas and Birthdays then, inevitably, the novelty wears off so she's mine again come the time she needs help with her coursework or when she's throwing a tantrum when she's not allowed to go to a concert or something. You idiots have it easy, just bugger off when you feel like it then waltz back in as and when it suits you. Sorry." She added considerately as an afterthought. "I'm not saying you're…you know, like that…" Her voice trailed off. Somewhere during this little rant, Hanssen had averted his gaze to the floor and he was now finding it very difficult to look at her.  
"I think," He started eventually. "Sometimes, the easier option is to walk when things get tough. Some people just find the idea of commitment and reliance inconceivable." Serena was studying him carefully. This, to her, didn't just sound like an observation of life.  
"Right. Like you ran to Stockholm?" Hanssen looked up sharply at this, but still couldn't quite met her gaze.  
"The hospital was left in capable hands in my absence." He said stiffly.  
"No, Henrik! This hospital –_ you're _hospital – was left in no hands at all. Capable or otherwise." She replied immediately. "Why did you run? Biotek? Anders Lovborg? What does it all mean?"  
"_Someone's _done their homework." He snapped, turning his back on her to look out the window. Whoever said snow helps one feel peace and calm was clearly never trapped in a room with Serena Campbell.  
"Yes! And I had a bloody right too!"  
"Right! Do you know what it means? My rights mean this is my business and mine alone." He glared.  
"You're _and _Jac's business." She said softly.  
"Ah. So that's the source of all this information." He said, still, somehow, holding onto his calm façade.  
"No. And you know it. Homework, as you said. Jac's more than your Ally in this. She has – and will not – tell anyone anything." He swallowed, suddenly feeling immensely guilty. He knew he could trust Jac and wouldn't sport the notion for a second that she'd blab just to become the star of Staffroom gossip for a lunchtime. "And you can trust me." He wondered how much of this was true. Since her first day, she'd given him absolutely no reason to trust her whatsoever, quite the contrary, actually.  
"Can I?" He asked softly, turning to face her.  
"Yes. What about our new 'friends' agreement?" Hanssen smiled. She inwardly sighed her relief, he was smiling, and that was a good sign. "You do realise what this entitles you to, right?" He pulled a fake grimace.  
"Do I wish to know?"  
"Yeah!" She grinned. "Number one – we have an open discussion about music choice when we're in theatre. So what you want to listen to – even ABBA – will have an equal chance to be played alongside mine. Number two, quite important this one, – The coffee game. If you're on shift, I'll buy you coffee and vice versa – that way we tend to have double the amount of caffeine which means our brain's will work twice as well. Oh, and number three, it's a pact we're not allowed to laugh at each other while we act."  
"You might have to write those down for me." Hanssen quipped, looking thoroughly amused.  
"Oh, trust me, there's plenty more where they came from!" He could almost thank her out loud for tactfully diverting the subject away from Sweden. He wasn't a fool though, he knew she'd come back for more but at the moment she was biding her time. "I've just realised, that was our first argument as friends!" She grinned happily.  
"Right, and that's an achievement is it?"  
"Yes! Two last things… Can you cook?" Hanssen looked confused but nodded regardless. "And will you teach me Swedish for free?" He looked much more amused this time as he nodded again. "Excellent! In that case, we'll get on like a house on fire." She extended a hand forward and, not missing a beat, Hanssen accepted it. She watched their joined hands for a few moments before raising her gaze to meet his. "We're being to formal." She observed. "Shall we do this the friendly way?"  
"Indeed." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and for the second time that day, he responded accordingly. Much to his surprise, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek before pulling back and stopping a few inches from him. She froze, knowing what was going to happen before the thought had even crossed her mind. She moved closer again, pressing her lips against his.  
"Sorry." She whispered, pulling back, looking thoroughly embarrassed and apologetic. She inwardly berated herself. Why? Why when they'd just got onto friendship status? And more importantly, why, when they were trapped in a small, enclosed space for the foreseeable future. It probably would have been less embarrassing to snog Michael Spence or Terrence Cunningham. She turned away, not entirely sure where to go in one room but deciding she might as well try and hide somewhere. A strong hand enclosing around her wrist stopped her though. He slowly pulled her back to face him.  
"I…Well, that was certainly informal." He whispered. Without waiting for an answer, he kissed her, one hand finding her waist, the other tightening the grip he had on her wrist.

When he received Jac's furious phone call, Jonny had literally sprinted as fast as he could from his locker all the way to Paediatrics. Skidding to a halt at the end of the corridor, he immediately recognised the red-head running down from the other end of the corridor.  
"Maconie!" She called, still holding her coffee cup. "What the bloody hell happened?" Jonny swallowed.  
"I was trying to fix the Mr Hanssen and Ms Campbell situation." He answered nervously. Jac eyes widened. Michael had explained the whole story to her as they queued for the coffees.  
"Oh you actual prat!" She groaned. Jonny looked baffled.  
"You told me to fix it, so I'm getting them to talk." He defended.  
"No! Michael completely misunderstood. They didn't actually shag." Jonny's mouth fell open.  
"What? This is your idea of a joke, right?" He begged weakly.  
"I wish!"  
"Shit! So…" He glanced nervously at the door.  
"So, you're as dead as the pig my bacon came from this morning." Jonny gulped. Jac couldn't help but grin as he searched his pockets feverishly for the key he'd chucked in their sometime earlier when he was under the impression he was doing a good deed.  
"Michael's gonna pay!" Jonny vowed, pulling the recently located key from his pocket.  
"No, you are!"  
"I was only trying to play Cupid." He mumbled.  
"Yeah. Did it ever occur to you Cupid rhymes with stupid?" Jac quipped. He quickly inserted the key into the lock.  
"I'm so sorry Ms Campbell and Mr Hanssen please don't kill me I love you lots and I'll buy you the best present for Christmas ever!" Jonny gabbled in one, indecipherable noise as he tumbled into the room. Jac followed in a controlled and calmed manner. The first thing she noticed was embarrassed and slightly stupid smirks on the Consultants faces. She herself smirked as she cottoned on immediately. Clearly they had kept themselves more than busy…she grinned to herself.  
"Where's the others?" Serena asked, trying to look cool and neutral.  
"We cancelled the rest of the rehearsal. They were all complaining about the snow. Seriously, one flurry and this whole bloody country comes to a stand-still." Jac answered, still calmly looking her colleagues up and down. "Michael's at his locker. We're going for a drink, want to join?" She found herself asking.  
"Sounds great." Serena smiled gratefully.  
"Jonny's paying." Jac volunteered the nervous Nurse. "To say sorry." Another smile flashed across Serena's face.  
"Don't worry, Maconie, no trouble." She assured him, ruffling his hair slightly.  
"Coming, Mr Hanssen?" Jac asked, already checking her watch. She wanted to get as many glasses of wine down her tonight as she could.  
"No!" Serena and Hanssen answered simultaneously.  
"Why?"  
"I'm never going anywhere with him again!" Serena insisted.  
"Wish that was the first time I heard that." Hanssen added under his breath, much to Jac's amusement.  
"I go to a meeting with him, I end up in a bloody Nativity. I go for a drink with him, we end up delivering a baby. I go to a rehearsal with him, we end up getting locked in a room!"  
"Oh, all the more reason then. You never know, we might get abducted by aliens this time." Jac smiled sarcastically. "We'll see you two at the entrance in five minutes." Serena rushed out of the room immediately, Jonny followed, mumbling something about getting more money from his locker – which meant 'Jac, you tidy this up!' Jac watched Hanssen's retreating back, trying to work out what the hell was happening. So, Hanssen and Serena kiss, then they slept together, but they didn't actually sleep together, then Jonny locked them in a room to get them to talk about something that wasn't actually happening, although something might be happening because of what Jac had just witnessed but then again she was only basing that on speculation. She shook her head slightly as she turned to tidy up the cardboard boxes. 'This world and more precisely the people on it make absolute no sense to me' she thought, smiling as she saw the ABBA CD she bought sitting in the CD player.


	9. Chapter 9

**Enjoy! Thanks so much for the reviews for this story so far – they mean a lot!xx :D**

Serena sat at Keller's Nurse's Station, rubbing her head and glaring around the ward as she was cruelly reminded how the number of patients doubled as it neared Christmas time. She was nursing the mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle and any other family member possible of hangovers and the last thing she needed was patients being difficult. It was the morning after the night before, but thanks to the alcohol, she couldn't quite remember what was 'the night before'.  
"Partying the night away were we?" Hanssen asked dryly, throwing Serena a smug smirk as he neared the Nurse's Station.  
"How _did _you tell?" She yawned sarcastically, rubbing her forehead soothingly. "Actually – do you know what, go away!"  
"Excuse me?"  
"You heard me! How could you have been at the Pub last night as well and still look all neat and perfect? You make me sick!" She grimaced. His smirk widened as he leant around her to pick up the patients notes. Making a move to stand up, she tried to disguise the amount of effort it took her, but it didn't go unnoticed by Hanssen.  
"Coffee and painkillers." He said, flicking through the notes in his hands.  
"What?" She asked with a soft groan.  
"Coffee and painkillers. Isn't that your usual remedy for a heavy night?"  
"Bloody cheek!" She glared, hitting him lightly on the chest with her folders and receiving a self-satisfied look for her troubles. "No it's _not _actually. I don't have a usual remedy because this isn't a usual occurrence."  
"No, of course not." His pompous attitude was irritating her, which didn't take much regarding her current mood. He finally relented with a sigh and looked up from the notes. "Go and take five. We need fully-operating doctors, not some half-dead woman running on Paracetamol. Go and straighten your head, please."  
"Hey!" She protested, immediately going on the defence. "My head is as straight as… a straight thing, thank you."  
"Trust me. Go."  
"_You _go!" She retorted. He inwardly groaned. Why does he have to share a shift with a hung-over Serena Campbell? Serena Campbell of all bloody people… He snatched the stack of blue folders from the loose grip she had on them and chucked them on top of his.  
"I will see you in ten minutes Ms Campbell. Ten mind, no more." She threw her hands up in mock surrender.  
"Fine! One coffee then I'll be back. I don't want to return to a pile of rubble, Ok?" She quipped dryly, turning on her heel.  
"I don't think even I could single-handedly ruin a whole ward in ten minutes."  
"I wouldn't put it past you." She smiled sweetly, turning back to face him. "Any dead patients, the blood's on your hands."  
"Oh, don't worry about that Ms Campbell, my success rate is 100%."  
"I thought it might be."  
"And you wouldn't be wrong. These hands work magic." She remained silent, just studying him with a glint in her eye. Playing innocent, he just pretended to be reading information on his patient, but he hadn't turned the page in the last few minutes.  
"Right." She replied slowly. "Glad to hear it."  
"I'm sure you are. Your precious ward is in safe hands, so please, I'm asking you nicely for the last time. Get out of my sight." She raised an unimpressed eyebrow.  
"Charming as ever. Catch you later _Joseph._" She glared, turning to go again. "Oh, and don't tell anyone about my… you know… alcohol consumption." She called over her shoulder.  
"Wouldn't dream of it." She nodded and headed down the ward. She was surprised how _nice _Hanssen was being. This behaviour seemed almost too good to be true.  
"Oh, Ms Campbell." She stopped half-way down the ward when she heard Hanssen call after her, loudly enough to capture the attention of some members of staff on the ward – including Malick and Ric.  
"Mm..?" She called back, turning around.  
"You might want these." He chucked a small package at her which she caught reflexively. "Aspirin." Malick and Ric grinned at his trick before catching sight of Serena's expression.  
"You git!" She glared, but pocketed the tablets anyway. Of course, it was too good to be true!  
"Well, if you'll excuse me this _git _has a ward to run for the next ten minutes and needs to be on top of his game for when the scary consultant returns for fear of receiving coal in his sack this year. Goodbye, Ms Campbell." Before she had the chance to answer, he had strode off in the direction of a patient, dismissing her for the said hangover-cure break. With a grin, she headed to her office to pick up her purse and hoodie. She was going to relish the next few, perfect moments, involving a large coffee, a secluded corner and her comfy, grey Holby hoodie. **(Psst – I don't know if Serena owns/wears a 'Holby hoodie' but they look soooo comfy and I really want one so I'll pretend (and Ric has one!)!xx)**

She tilted her head back with a sigh, allowing the wind to ruffle her short hair. The coffee and Aspirin had the desired affect and her head felt a lot clearer. When a familiar beeping sounded, she groaned, expecting it be some form of emergency and her aid was required immediately.

**Hey Rena! My head's killin! How's u and wuu2? Michael.x **Great! So it wasn't an emergency, she smiled happily.

**Hey Michael! You **_**were**_** very drunk last night… I'm fine, and I'm about to throw a dictionary in your face.x**

Almost funny. And I wasn't that drunk… x

**Michael! You tried to chat up a cop…**

**She must have been good looking then!x**

**It was a male cop, and when you made a move he tazed you while you screamed HARDER…:D**

We will never speak of this again…

**Hanssen watched… x**

**Shit :/ Anyway, is your phone on?x**

**Nope.**

**Damn, text me when it is, yeah?x**

**What's the matter with you? :/**

**Oh, I gettit! I just wanted to tell you some awesome news!x**

**Go for it…**

**The barmaid last night?! She texted me, we're going for a date on Feb 30****th****!x :D**

**Michael…There is no Feb 30****th****? **

… **Shit! :'(**

**Aww! :( Want me to come see you, I only charge a tenner per Agony Aunt Session? :) x**

**Tenner?! You're a great friend Rena! I'd do anything for you, move mountains, cross oceans, walk on hot coals, just to see you!x 3**

**Ok… I'm on the roof, want to come and meet me here (with a tenner?)x**

**Fuck no! Its looks like it gonna rain or snow dude! :) x**

**Git… do you want me to come down to AAU later? :) **

**Yeah man! I'll get some coffees and muffins in! Love you!xx 3**

**Yeah, I know! Try and get some more tablets down you before I come, the last thing I need is a hung-over you to deal with! :D x**

**Excuse me! You were just as drunk! I never seen the Robot danced with so much skill… ;) see you soon.x**

****'This' She promised herself out loud, placing her phone back in her pocket with a smile. 'Is the last time I drink any form of alcohol.'  
"Yeah, that's until tonight." A sharp tone voiced her own doubtful thoughts.  
"Alright Jac?" She asked, recognising the familiar voice immediately. Sure enough, when she opened her eyes the red-head took an uninvited seat next to her. She went to hand Serena the spare coffee she'd bought, but diverted it back to herself when she saw she was already holding a take-away cup. "I'll take it." Serena said quickly. Jac raised an eyebrow but handed it over regardless. "Mine's empty." She added by a way of explanation. Jac nodded and they sat in a comfortable silence for a while, only moving every now and again to take a sip of coffee. "So, shouldn't you be stressing over pulling this play together?"  
"Nah!" She shrugged. "We got an ex-Drama teacher, old friend of Jonny's, coming in for our next rehearsal."  
"Have you got rid of 'Mary' yet?" Serena grinned. "I'm not taking that role, you know!"  
"We'll see." She smiled enigmatically. "It's actually alright, to be honest. Elliot's the best shepherd you could hope for, Michael's cocky and arrogant which is perfect for the Innkeeper. Hanssen… Is just, well, Hanssen."  
"He's a bloody good actor! I mean, watch his scenes with Elliot and Chantelle etc… If he knows them, he's brilliant! He has a sexy singing voice as well." She added as an afterthought, remembering the way he'd sung 'away in a manager'.  
"Yeah, you're just as good!" She grinned. "_Islands in the St-"  
_"Shut up!" Serena glared lightly. She'd done her upmost to avoid hearing that song, which was easier said than done regarding the fact her daughter had somehow found out and tried to play and/or sing it at any opportunity given. "What I was trying to say was, he's nervous." Jac lips twitched into a smile. Hanssen being described as nervous was like Chantelle going on a Chocolate ban. It never happened and if it did, it wouldn't last long. They lapsed back into a comfortable silence, enjoying the breeze which held a few snowflakes whip around them.  
"Wassup?" Jac asked a while later getting to the point she'd originally come for, genuine concern etched on her face.  
"The sky, why?" Serena replied dryly, glancing up. Jac followed her gaze, rolling her eyes as she realised she was evading the question.  
"Well, that tends to be the literal answer when you're on a roof." Jac sighed. "Seriously, Serena, are you OK?" Serena nodded genuinely enough, but seemed almost doubtful.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just like it here."  
"Me too. It's kinda peaceful, you can just be in your own thoughts. Which leads me back to my original point. You're obviously here for a reason." Serena's eyes darted around the rooftop for a few moments, desperately trying to come up with a diversion tactic. She fleetingly wondered how Hanssen did it so effectively.  
"Vice versa. Why are you here, Jac?" Jac immediately drew her gaze from Serena and locked it onto the coffee cup in her hand. She inwardly cursed as she realised she'd given Serena the upper hand too easily.  
"The view." She shrugged indifferently.  
"Mm… So, did you go to Gynaecology?" Serena asked innocently, keeping her voice as even as she could.  
"Ye- Wait, what? No, why would I need Obs and Gynae?" She replied, glad she'd realised Serena's trick just in time.  
"Oh give over Jac." Serena said sharply, causing Jac to look up quickly. "Do you think I was born yesterday? Of course I'd see right through you're scan. Yes, Jac, _you're _scan. It was wasn't it, it wasn't a 'patients'." Her voice had levelled out again and she was looking at Jac with a hint of softness.  
"I… fine. Yeah, yeah, you saw through me. Ten out of ten Sherlock." Jac sighed, her hands suddenly becoming of a great interest to her.  
"What is it Jac?" Serena asked, shuffling closer. "I did some research but it's got me nowhere."  
"Meh…nothing serious." She shrugged again, but didn't push Serena's hands away when she placed them over hers.  
"Ok, I understand you don't want to tell me now. But I'm here to listen when you do. We all are. Me, Michael, Jonny, Elliot, Mo, Ric, Chantelle, Hanssen." Jac snorted. "_Especially _Hanssen." Serena insisted. "He might not admit it all the time, but his staff means more to him than anything."  
"I know." She nodded. A few months ago, she would have laughed at the idea, but since Sweden… "I don't know why I stabbed him in the back."  
"I'm glad I sent you to Sweden." Serena sighed, voicing Jac's thoughts. "I thought at first it was just because I wanted to get rid of Cousins but I don't know now. I can't exactly imagine life with that Giant Swede looming around." Jac smirked at her hands.  
"You didn't seem too happy when he returned, you know."  
"Of course I wasn't. I was acting CEO. Everything was great, I was in charge of the whole bloody hospital. Then he suddenly appeared and turned all that upside down. Rid me of my power, as it were." Serena sighed heavily. She wasn't exactly sure why she was telling Jac this.  
"You power hungry, crazy maniac you." Jac smiled thoughtfully. "You know, this whole wielding the power, CEO thing really suits you to a T. But just not here." Serena snorted at Jac's bluntness.  
"Jeez – I feel welcome!" She grinned sarcastically.  
"Listen! I said it suits you perfectly. But just not here. Hanssen's our leader, and no one's gonna let him go without a fight – including me. That's all I'm saying. By all means go for it, but just prepare for the Revolt that you're definitely going to face."  
"Thanks for the heads up." She sighed.  
"Anytime." Jac glanced sideways at Serena. "So, what's gives with you and the Swede?" Serena felt her heart beat quicken. Typical – of all the people to ask it had to be a Cardiothoracic consultant.  
"Huh?" She asked, trying to look disinterested.  
"Do you think I was born yesterday?" Jac mimicked, doing a frighteningly accurate impersonation of Serena. "I got a phone call from a very worried Ric earlier. He says Hanssen sent you on a coffee break!" Serena raised an eyebrow.  
"Wow. He sent me to buy a coffee. Look at me like I'm having the most inappropriate love affair with him why don't you?" She replied sarcastically, shivering slightly in the cold which she was starting to feel.  
"Well, something's going on and trust me, I will get to the bottom of it." Jac made a move to stand up, evidently feeling the chill as well.  
"Wait, Jac." Serena called, jumping up to follow her.  
"Mm?" She called, stopping for Serena to catch her up.  
"You don't have to tell me about your scan, but I need you to tell me something that you are going to be reluctant to." Jac knew exactly what she was asking, but whether she was willing to give the answer was another matter altogether.  
"What?" She asked, trying to delay it for as long as possible.  
"You know what Jac."  
"Nope. I'm afraid you're mistaking me for someone who can read your mind." Sarcasm. Jac's defence tactic.  
"Sweden." Jac's face darkened and she turned sharply on her heel and strode off back into the building. Serena closed her eyes, the wind which was once calming now seemingly attacking her. On a whim, she grabbed her empty coffee cup and gave chase.  
"Jac!" She called, sprinting down the never-ended stairs after the younger consultant. "Jac!"  
"What?" She finally relented and stopped on the middle of the staircase.  
"Help me out here. I can't work it out for myself, God's knows I've tried that." Jac slowly turned to face her and Serena watched her expression carefully for a sign of whether she was going to tell her what she desperately wanted to know.  
"Listen to me carefully Serena. I can't. What happened in Sweden is staying there until Henrik wants to tell you. Only then you'll know. I have no right to tell you and I have no urge to tell you." With one, final searching look, Jac turned away from her. She made it down a few stairs when Serena called after her again.  
"You knew I'd never go along with your 'trust Hanssen's judgement' plan didn't you?" She froze before looking over her shoulder.  
"Yes. But it was enough to stall to get him back here. Enough until he was willing to tell you."  
"So you're going to remain tight lipped. Put that misguided sense of loyalty to him first?" Her voice involuntary acquired a bitter tone.  
"Yes. My bond and friendship with a broken man who decided to trust me will always go first over pleasing an acting CEO. I'm sorry Serena, but he'll tell you when he's ready." Jac looked at her with a soft expression, but enough sternness to show she'd always put Hanssen's trust first.  
"Will he? I don't want to know for any other reason than I care for him Jac. I can't get him to open up to me." Jac almost looked apologetic as she silently studied the begging consultant.  
"I believe you. I know you have his best interests at heart. It wasn't easy for me to get him to talk Serena. You have to be patient, one thing at a time. Just show him he can trust you. Slowly build up the broken bonds between you and in time he'll let you know what you want to know." Jac smiled gently, before carrying on her route down the stairwell, leaving a very thoughtful Serena behind. So lost in her thoughts, Serena only came to her senses when a passing F1 shot her a worried look. She returned a look saying 'I'm not a nutcase staring it space, trust me' before following in Jac's footsteps until she came to the lift.  
"I'm not sure whether to thank you or be annoyed with you, Naylor." She muttered as the lift doors opened. She entered on autopilot, still muttering to herself and wondering how the hell she was going to get the Swede to trust her like he did Jac.


End file.
